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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT   LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 

William  McPherson 


SHADE 


IND1 


Shrubs   and 


J.  T.  STEWART.  M.D. 


INSECTS  THAT  IXFE.ST  THEM. 


MISS  EMMA  A.  SMITH. 


[A,  ILL 

PRINTK 


Shrubs  and  J^ines, 


J.  T.  STEWART,  M.  D., 


MISS    EMMA    A.   SMITH, 

ENTOMOLOGIST. 


PEORIA,  ILL.: 

TRANSCRIPT  COMPANY,   PRINTERS  AND   BINDERS. 
1877. 


TO  MY  READERS. 

The  following  pages  are  the  result  of  many  years  observation 
and  much  careful  study.  Every  statement  has  been  maturely  con- 
sidered. There  may  be  and  doubtless  are  errors,  but  I  am  sure  a 
critical  examination  and  the  test  of  experience,  will  prove  them  to 
be  few.  I  have  endeavored  to  put  in  a  small  compass  as  much  prac- 
tical information  as  possible,  on  a  subject  on  which  much  is  needed. 
It  was  written  expressly  for  this  city,  though  parts  of  it  apply 

equally  to  other  places. 

J.  T.  STEWART. 


467679 


Shade  Trees. 


A  little  time  devoted  by  every  family  to  the  culture  of 
shade  trees  and  ornamental  shrubbery,  would  add  much  to 
the  healthfulness  and  beauty  of  our  city,  and  would  have  a 
refining  and  elevating  influence  upon  its  people. 

Every  tastefully  arranged  and  nicely  kept  yard  invites 
every  passer-by  to  a  higher  and  better  life,  and  is  a  joy  to 
the  family  forever.  The  growing  children  drink  in  its 
beauty,  and  make  it  a  part  of  themselves  as  surely  and 
naturally  as  they  breathe  their  native  air.  Coarse,  unlovely 
children,  brought  up  in  the  midst  of  lovely  surroundings, 
are  impossible  things. 

I  wish  to  call  attention  to  this  subject,  to  urge  its 
importance  and  give  some  little  information  upon  it. 

Before  planting  a  tree  in  any  given  locality,  the  first 
thing  to  determine  is  what  tree  will  flourish  there.  A 
healthy  tree  is  usually  handsome,  but  a  sickly  tree  never  is. 

As  a  rule,  indigenous*  trees  are  the  most  reliable. 
Unfortunately  our  soil  is  such  that  but  few  of  them  will 
grow.  Experience  and  observation  will  add,  year  by  year, 
to  our  present  knowledge,  but  if  we  had  known  twenty-five 
years  ago  what  we  now  know,  or  have  the  means  of  know- 
ing, it  would  have  saved  us  many  thousand  dollars  that  have 
been  wasted  on  trees  that  never  will  grow  in  this  place. 

During  the  last  thirty  years  several  thousand  dollars 
have  been  expended  on  trees  in  the  court  house  square 
alone;  and  with  a  few  exceptions  it  is  now  filled  with 
the  silver-leaf  poplar.  Although  they  are  better  than  n 

'Natives  of  the  place  or  vicinity. 


I 


(6) 

shade  trees,  still  when  placed  in  such  a  soil,  and  in  a  place 
so  exposed  as  that  square,  the  silver-leaf  poplar  is  an  inferior 
and  short-lived  tree. 

We  have  our  own  peculiar  soil  and  location,  and  many 
trees  that  will  flourish  in  a  prairie  loam  having  a  clay  sub- 
soil, will  not  grow  here. 

Most  of  that  portion  of  the  city  that  lies  between  the 
bluff  on  the  one  side,  and  the  lake  and  river  on  the  other, 
has  a  thin,  sandy  soil,  with  a  sand  and  gravel  subsoil.  It 
slopes  towards  the  river  in  a  southwesterly  direction,  and 
except  a  strip  near  the  bluff  which  is  a  little  depressed,  is 
thoroughly  drained. 

Having  such  a  declivity,  soil  and  subsoil,  it  becomes 
excessively  dry  in  summer.  In  exposed  places  it  is  not 
uncommon  for  the  ground  to  dry  live  feet  below  the  surface. 
And  what  is  worse,  when  thoroughly  dried,  in  places  the 
subsoil  becomes  almost  as  hard  as  rock.  It  is  that  peculiar 
formation  which  is  commonly  and  appropriately  termed 
hard  pan.  Hence  the  extreme  difficulty  of  making  many 
trees  grow  that  do  well  in  other  places. 

That  portion  of  the  city  which  lies  on  the  bluff  has  quite 
a  different  soil  and  subsoil,  and  a  different  exposure.  That 
part  northeast  of  the  Knoxville  road,  has  a  clay  loam,  with 
a  clay  subsoil,  and  is  somewhat  rolling.  That  part  which 
lies  southwest  of  the  Knoxville  road,  has  chiefly  a  rich 
prairie  loam,  with  a  clay  subsoil,  and  is  rather  level.  Here 
almost  any  of  the  forest  trees  will  grow.  There  is  much 
less  difficulty  in  raising  trees  anywhere  on  the  bluff  than  in 
raising  them  below,  and  as  it  is  a  little  cooler  there  in 
summer,  there  is  in  reality  not  quite  so  much  necessity  for 
them. 

TREES  THAT  WILL  GROW  BETWEEN  THE  BLUFF  AND  THE  RIVER. 

In  the  plateau  between  the   bluff  and    the    river,    we 

would  recommend  for  outside  planting,  the  following  trees: 

The   Hackberry—  Celtis  pccidentalis;   the  White  Elm— 


(7) 

Ulmus  Americana;  the  Soft,  or  Silver  Leaf  Maple — Acer 
dasycarpum;  the  American  and  European  Linn — Tilia  Ameri- 
cana and  Tilia  Europcea  ;  the  Box  Elder — Negundo  Aceroides. 

Of  these  six  species,  the  Hackberry  is  beyond  compari- 
son, the  best.  It  is  difficult  to  say  which  of  the  others 
should  have  the  preference.  Taking  all  things  into  account, 
perhaps  they  have  about  equal  merits.  All,  except  the 
European  Linn,  are  natives  of  our  forests,  prefer  rnoist, 
rich  land,  but  will  flourish  in  almost  any  soil. 

The  Hackberry  is  a  medium  sized  tree,  resembling  the 
elm;  has  a  medium  growth,  is  clean  and  symmetrical. 
When  not  crowded  its  top  rounds  up  well  and  becomes 
quite  dense.  Its  spray  is  the  most  graceful  of  our  forest 
trees,  and  it  holds  its  leaves  till  late  in  autumn.  It  is 
exceedingly  tough.  Its  limbs  never  break.  It  will  bear 
any  amount  of  trampling  around,  and  any  amount  of 
drouth,  heat,  cold,  dust  and  smoke.  It  bears  a  dark  purple 
globuler  stone  fruit,  about  the  size  of  a  pea,  with  a  thin, 
sweet  pulp,  ripening  late  in  the  fall.  It  is  rarely  infested 
with  insects;  in  fact,  I  never  knew  this  tree  to  be  injured 
by  them!  The  only  insect  that  seems  to  fancy  it  is  the 
Psylla  Celtides  Mam-ma.  Riley,  which  sometimes  forms 
little  gulls  on  the  leaves.  It  grows  slowly  when  small,  but 
when  it  becomes  large  enough  for  transplanting,  its  growth 
is  fully  equal  to  that  of  the  elm.  A  row  of  these  trees  may 
be  seen  in  front  of  Mr.  David  Proctor's  place,  on  Perry 
street.  Another,  and  the  largest  one  in  the  city,  groWs  in 
Dr.  I.  W.  Johnson's  front  yard,  on  Perry  street.  There  is 
one  in  Mr.  W.  H.  Cruger's  front  yard,  and  there  are  two  in 
the  court  house  square.  A  few  others  may  be  seen  in  the 
eity,  most  of  which  were  set  out -last  year.  A  good  sized 
tree  of  this  species  grows  in  Chambers  street,  on  the  bluff. 
For  some  distance  'round  the  tree,  the  earth  has  been 
vvnslied  from  the  roots,  which  have  been  battered  and 
trampled  enough  to  kill  many  trees ;  yet,  under  this  treat- 
|  ment,  it  seems  not  only  to  have  suffered  no  injury,  but  to 
thrive. 


A  large  sized  typical  tree  of  this  kind  may  be  seen 
across  the  river,  about  a  mile  beyond  the  bridge,  at  the 
crossing  of  the  Groveland  and  Pekin  roads.  It  was  very 
symmetrical  and  beautiful,  but  recently  a  telegraph  wire 
has  been  passed  through  the  top  of  it,  and  some  of  the 
limbs,  on  one  side,  have  been  cut  off,  which,  of  course, 
mars  its  beauty,  still  by  seeing  it  now  one  may  form  an  idea 
of  what  it  was  before  it  was  mutilated. 

The  White  Elm  is,  perhaps,  the  most  famous  of  our 
American  shade  trees;  but,  in  this  dry  soil,  it  will  not 
develope  its  full  proportions,  therefore  it  must  take  a  second 
place.  Its  top  is  apt  to  become  open  and  unsymmetrical, 
and  it  is  sometimes  seriously  injured  by  bark  lice.  For  a 
few  years  after  it  is  set  out,  it  grows  slowly  but  finally 
improves  and  grows  quite  rapidly.  It  is  so  well  known 
that  it  needs  no  especial  description. 

The  Soft  Maple  is  a  rapid  grower,  a  clean,  elegant  tree, 
but  is  very  brittle.  The  limbs  are  liable  to  split  from  the 
body  and  break  off.  In  their  native  forests  they  grow  close 
together,  tall  and  slender,  and  protect  each  other  from  the 
wind;  the  tops  are  smaller  and  the  limbs  less  liable  to 
break.  The  bark  is  tender  when  young,  and  requires  care- 
ful protection.  It  is  somewhat  subject  to  the  inroads  of 
borers.  Recently  a  few  trees  have  been  attacked  by  an 
enemy  that  is  new  to  this  part  of  the  country,  which  may 
prove  serious  here  as  it  has  proved  in  parts  of  Missouri. 

For  a  full  description  of  this  insect,  and  the  best  method 
of  destroying  it,  I  refer  you  to  Miss  Smith's  paper. 

The  Box  Elder  is  a  medium  sized  tree,  having  a  medium 
growth,  and  while  young  a  tender  bark,  but  if  protected 
does  well  and  is  quite  hardy.  Like  its  relative,  the  Soft 
Maple,  it  is  sometimes  injured  by  borers.  It  bears  cultiva- 
tion well  and  is  a  handsome  tree  anywhere,  but  in  the  river 
bottoms  where  it  luxuriates,  it  is  very  beautiful,  and  makes 
a  rapid  growth.  On  moist,  rich  prairie  land  but  few  trees 
grow  more  rapidly  or  present  a  finer  appearance. 


(9) 

The  European  and  American  Linn  are  elegant  trees  and 
do  well.  The  former  is  the  more  handsome  of  the  two, 
and  merits  more  attention  than  it  has  received.  Dr.  Gr.  L. 
Lucas  has  a  fine  row  of  them  on  his  grounds,  on  the  bluff. 
Mr.  J.  B.  Smith  has  one  in  his  yard,  and  there  are  a  few 
others  in  the  city.  A  good  specimen  of  the  American 
Linn,  and  by  far  the  largest  one  in  the  city,  grows  in  the 
front  yard,  of  the  place  on  south  Jefferson  street,  formerly 
occupied  by  Mr.  J.  McClay  Smith.  A  smaller  but  a  typical 
one  grows  in  Mrs.  Purple's  yard,  on  Fulton  street. 

These  are  the  only  trees,  that  with  our  present  knowl- 
edge, we  would  recommend  for  outside  planting,  as  all 
others,  heretofore,  have  either  done  badly  or  totally  failed. 
For  inside  planting  quite  a  variety  may  be  added,  among 
them  many  of  those  recommended  for  the  bluff;  but  judg- 
ment must  be  exercised  in  their  selection  and  location. 


fferfd 


We  are  not  now  discussing  the  relative  merits  or 
demerits  of  trees  as  trees,  but  their  fitness  for  our  purpose. 
For  beauty  and  durability,  the  Hard  or  Sugar  Maple — Acer 
Saccharinum,  stands  among  the  very  first  forest  trees  of 
'America  or  the  world,  but  unfortunately,  except  in  a  few 
places,  it  will  not  live  between  the  bluff  and  the  river, 
either  outside  or  inside.  From  the  early  days  of  Peoria  to 
the  present  time,  it  has  been  tried  again  and  again,  and  has 
almost  invariably  failed. 

During  the  last  forty  years  several  thousand  have  been 
set  out,  and  with  many  of  them,  great  care  was  taken,  and 
what  have  we  to  show  for  it?  Just  two  survive  that  are  of 
any  size ;  one  of  these  is  in  the  lot  on  Jefferson  street, 
adjoining  the  Library,  and  has  been  there  forty  years.  It 
is  now  about  twenty-five  feet  high,  and  four  feet  above  the 
ground,  measures  twelve  inches  in  diameter.  The  other 
one  is  on  Mr.  Robert  Grier's  lot,  corner  of  Perry  and  Ham- 

2 


(10) 

ilton  streets.  It  has  been  there  thirty-five  years,  and  is 
about  the  same  size.  It  is,  by  no  means,  as  healthy  and 
vigorous  as  it  was  five  years  ago.  And  these,  remember, 
are  not  on  the  sidewalk,  but  inside.  Not  one  that  was  set 
on  the  street  twenty-five  years  ago  is  alive. 

The  further  planting  of  this  tree  under  the  bluff,  except 
in  a  few  spots  where  there  is  clay  in  the  sub-soil,  is  sheer 
folly.  On  the  bluff  it  does  well  either  outside  or  inside, 
except  in  exposed  places.  Some  years  ago  Mr.  Grove  set 
out  a  row  of  twenty-two  in  front  of  his  place,  which  is  one  of 
the  most  exposed  on  the  bluff.  Eight  of  them  have  been 
re-set  or  their  places  left  vacant,  and  one-half  the  rest  should 
be  placed  on  the  invalid  list.  If  in  this  place,  instead  of  the 
Hard  Maple,  he  had  set  the  Hackberry,  it  would  now  be  a 
splendid  row  of  trees. 


on 


Bluff. 


On  the  bluff  we  are  not  restricted  as  we  are  under  it. 
All  the  trees  recommended  for  below  will  do  well  here, 
and  many  more.  It  is  not  necessary  to  be  so  careful  what 
trees  are  put  on  the  sidewalks,  but  as  a  general  rule  the 
larger  and  more  hardy  ones  should  be  selected  for  this  pur- 
pose, and  the  smaller  and  more  tender  trees  for  the  inside. 

There  are  five  species  of  Ash  in  our  forest,  all  of  which 
do  well  and  are  handsome  trees. 

The  Sycamore  is  a  stately  tree,  and  should,  by  no  means, 
be  neglected. 

The  Catalpa  is  a  native  of  the  southern  states;  is  an 
elegant  tree  and  may  be  planted  in  protected  places.  It  is 
a  clean  tree,  a  rapid  grower,  has  large,  rich,  green  foliage, 
and  covers  itself  in  spring  with  panicles  of  white  flowers. 
It  is  unfit  for  planting  on  the  streets,  but  in  places  both 
below  and  on  the  bluff,  it  has  done  well  inside.  In  the 
latitude  of  southern  Illinois  it  is  reliable,  but  here  it  some- 
times winter  kills. 


(11) 

The  Honey  Locust,  especially  that  variety  which  is 
thornless,  or  nearly  so,  is  a  beautiful  tree  and  does  well, 
fine  specimens  may  be  seen  in  front  of  Mr.  Hogue's  and 
Mr.  LazelPs  places,  on  the  bluff";  there  is  also  one  in  the 
court  house  square.  It  is  a  large  hardy  forest  tree,  with 
large  pinnate  and  twice  pinnate  leaves,  and  a  profusion  of 
little  leaflets,  of  a  deep  rich  green  color. 

The  Kentucky  Coffee  Tree,  or  as  it  is  commonly  called, 
the  coffee  nut  tree — Gynmocladus  Canadensis,  we  would 
especially  recommend  for  the  beauty  of  its  foliage.  In  this 
respect,  it  has  no  equal  in  our  forest,  and  but  few  superiors 
in  the  world.  It  has  very  large  decompound  leaves,  with  a 
multitude  of  graceful  leaflets.  It  is  usually  a  small  tree, 
but  sometimes  attains  to  considerable  size.  There  is  one  in 
Mr.  Darst's  (formerly  Frink's)  grove,  that  measures  two 
feet  in  diameter. 

The  Black  Walnut  is  a  large  forest  tree,  and  where  it  is 
'not  trampled  about,  and  there  is  not  too  much  smoke  and 
dust,  does  well.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  trees  in  the  world 
for  timber,  but  in  a  city,  is  not  so  well  adapted  for  a  shade 
tree. 

The  Wild  Black  Cherry  is  a  nice  little  tree,  but  tender. 

The  Persimmon  cultivates  well,  and  is  a  fine  little  shade 
tree. 

The  Horse  Chestnut  will  do  well  inside,  especially  on 
the  bluff,  so  will  its  brother,  our  Buckeye,  but  it  grows 
slowly.  These  trees  are  the  first  to  put  out  in  the  spring, 
and  while  in  leaf,  are  very  handsome.  I  hope  more  of 
them  will  be  planted.  They  shed  their  leaves  early  in  the 
fall,  sometimes  in  August.  They  have  one  peculiarity  which 
not  many  deciduous  trees  have;  in  from  four  to  five  weeks 
they  make  their  entire  growth  for  the  year,  during  the 
summer  and  fall  they  are  preparing  the  next  year's  growth. 
Every  leaf  and  every  flower  is  formed  and  packed  in  the 
buds  ready  to  unfold  and  expand  the  following  spring. 


(12) 

The  Norway  Maple  has  been  introduced  by  Mr.  A.  P. 
Bartlett,  in  his  grounds  on  the  bluff,  and  has  done  well. 
It  is  a  splendid  tree,  clean,  with  a  well  rounded  dense  top, 
and  a  profusion  of  foliage.  We  strongly  recommend  this 
tree  for  the  bluff.  Mr.  Bartlett  has  also  the  English  Elm, 
which  is  superior  even  to  our  White  Elm.  It  is  probably 
as  hardy,  grows  a  little  faster,  arid  its  top  is  more  dense. 

The  Cucumber  Tree — Magnolia  Acwnmaia,  is  a  large 
and  elegant  tree.  It  is  perfectly,  hardy,  and  in  rich  land 
grows  rapidly.  I  think  there  is  not  one  in  the  city.  Why 
it  has  npt  been  introduced  is  more  than  I  can  understand. 
As  an  ornamental  shade  tree,  it  has  few  equals;  it  may  be 
obtained  at  any  of  the  nurseries.  The  rest  of  the  mag- 
nolies,  winter-kill,  and  are  worthless  for  planting  here. 

The  Pecan  has  been  highly  recommended,  both  for  a 
shade  and  fruit  tree.  How  this  may  be  I  cannot  say  from 
observation.  I  hope  it  may  prove  to  be  an  exception  to 
the  hickory  family,  of  which  it  is  a  member,  as  it  is  a  use- 
ful and  ornamental  tree. 

The  Mulberry  is  a  handsome  little  tree,  but  tender. 

The  Sassafras  is  a  handsome  little  tree,  hardy  and  well 
adapted  for  inside  planting,  either  on  or  under  the  bluff. 
It  is  the  only  representative  of  the  Laurel  family  in  this 
vicinity.  Every  part  of  the  tree-  is  aromatic,  especially  the 
bark  and  leaves. 

The  Butternut  or  White  Walnut  is  rather  a  handsome 
little  tree,  and  does  well  inside  where  there  is  not  much 
smoke  and  dust. 

The  Mountain  Ash  is  worthless  under  the  bluff,  but  in 
some  protected  places  on  the  bluff,  has  done  reasonably 
well.  It  is  too  handsome  to  discard  altogether. 

The  Shepherdia  argentea,  the  Buffalo  Berry  of  the 
upper  Missouri  and  the  Rocky  Mountains,  is  a  small  tree 
that  ought  to  be  further  introduced.  There  is  now  but  one 
in  the  city,  and  it  is  in  Mr.  Mathew  Griswold's  yard,  on 


(13) 

Madison  Street.  It  is  hardy  and  has  a  profusion  of  slen- 
der leaves,  silver  gray  on  both  sides,  giving  the  whole  top 
a  bright,  rich,  silvery  appearance. 

The  White  Willow — Salix  filba,  is  a  good  tree,  a  native  of 
Europe,  a  rapid  grower,  and  ^flourishes  here. 

The  common  Silver  Leaf  Poplar  grows  rapidly  almost 
anywhere,  but  on  exposed  places  is  short  lived.  It  is  sub- 
ject to  borers  and  sprouts  dreadfully. 

The  Populus  M)ilaiata — Lombardy  Poplar,  is  a  unique 
tree,  a  rapid  groover,  rather  handsome,  but  is  very  short 
lived. 

The  Cottonwood  is  a  rapid  grower  and  flourishes  in  any 
moist  soil,  but  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  choice  tree. 

The  Red,  or  Slippery  Elm,  is  of  little  value  for  a  shade 
tree. 

Our  Oaks  and  Hickories  do  not  do  well  for  shade  trees. 
They  do  not  bear  trampling  'round,  and  the  heat,  dust  and 
smoke  of  the  city  destroy  them. 

The  Yellow  Poplar,  or  Tulip  tree,  winter-kills  and  is 
unreliable.  In  some  protected  places  a  few  have  grown  to 
considerable  size  and  are  still  healthy  and  vigorous,  but 
nearly  all  that  have  been  put  out  in  the  city  are  now  dead. 

The  Ailanthus  winter-kills  and  is  unreliable. 

The  Black  Locust  has,  fortunately,  been  killed  by  bor- 
ers. It  is  a  rapid  grower  but  not  a  choice  tree. 

Fruit  trees  are  not  desirable  for  shade  trees  in  a  city. 
The  Apple,  Peach  and  Cherry,  especially  the  two  latter,  are 
short  lived.  The  Pear  tree  lives  longer,  but  the  heat, 
smoke  and  dust  of  cities  injure  them  all,  and  prevent  them 
from  fruiting  well. 

The  Chestnut  tree  has  done  badly  and  cannot  be  recom- 
mended. 


(14) 


1.    DECIDUOUS.* 

The  Birches  are  fine  ornamental  trees  and  hardy,  though 
they  do  not  make  much  shade.  The.  European  White 
Birch  —  Betula  Alba,  is  the  most  ornamental  of  the  family, 
and  will  thrive/in  the  most  barren  soil.  It  is  well  suited 
for  inside  planting,  anywhere  in  the  city. 

In  the  extreme  north  it  is  a  mere  shrub.  In  the  north 
of  Europe  it  is  a  lofty  tree.  In  the  south  of  Europe  it  is 
smaller  and  the  timber  inferior.  The  climate  here  is  suited 
to  its  full  development. 

A  smaller  and  inferior  variety  of  this  species,  called  the 
American  White  Birch  —  Betula  tfopulifolia,  is  found  in  the 

eastern  states. 

/ 
The  Betula  Papyracea  —  Canoe  Birch,  the  bark  of  which 

the  Indians  use  for  making  canoes,  is  a  handsome  tree, 
grows  rapidly  on  rich  prairie  soil,  and  would  do  well  on 
the  bluff. 

The  Black,  Yellow  and  Ked  Birches  are  all  natives  of 
the  northern  part  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,  are  all 
handsome  trees  ;  prefer  moist,  rich  land,  and  will  doubtless 
thrive  on  the  bluff. 

The  Larix,  or  Larch,  is  a  cone-bearing  tree,  with  needle 
shaped  leaves,  but  not  an  evergreen. 

The  Larix  Americana,  Black  Larch,  Hackmetack,  Tam- 
arack, grows  in  swamps  in  the  north  and  northeastern 
portions  of  the  United  States,  and  further  north  it  is  found 
also  on  uplands.  It  flourishes  on  our  prairies,  will  do  well 
on  the  bluff,  and  is  a  handsome  tree. 

The  Larix  Europcea  —  European  Larch  is  a  native  of  the 
mountainous  parts  of  Europe,  and  the  south  of  Russia.  It 

*Trees  that  shed  (heir  leaves  annually. 


(15) 

is  extensively  cultivated  in  England  and  on  the  continent 
of  Europe  for  timber  and  ornament.  Its  timber  is  among 
the  most  durable  and  valuable  in  the  world.  It  is  a  rapid 
grower  and  very  ornamental.  It  is  one  of  the  most  reliable 
and  desirable  trees  for  planting  on  the  bluff. 

2.  EVERGREENS. 

Under  the  bluff,  except  in  a  few  spots  where  clay  is 
mixed  with  the  sub  soil,  all"  evergreens  have  failed,  and 
will  continue  to  fail.  They  live  and  thrive  a  few  years  and 
then  die  for  want  of  nutriment.  They  literally  starve  to 
death.  We  do  not  know  how  to  supply  the  deficient  nour- 
ishment, and  if  we  knew,  it  would  probably  cost  too  much 
to  be  practicable.  But  on  the  bluff  a  few  species  will  suc- 
ceed. 

The  Scotch,  Austrian  and  White  Pine  may  be  recom- 
mended. 

The  Scotch  Pine  —  Pinus  sylvestris,  is  the  least  orna- 
mental of  the  three ;  but  it  is  so  hardy,  grows  so  well,  and 
is  so  easy  to  cultivate,  that  in  a  place  like  this,  where  so  few 
evergreens  will  flourish,  it  is  worthy  of  notice  and  should 
be  planted.  It  constitutes  a  large  part  of  the  forests  of 
northern  Europe,  and  makes  the  best  of  timber. 

The  Austrian  Pine — Pinus  Austriaca,  is  a  native  of  the 
mountainous  regions  of  Austria,  where  it  grows  to  the 
hight  of  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet.  It 
is  more  ornamental  than  the  last,  and  is  equally  hardy,  but 
requires  more  care  in  transplanting.  As  it  becomes  a  large 
tree,  and  is  a  rapid  grower,  it  should  not  be  crowded  but 
have  an  abundance  of  room.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
White  Pine  and  the  Norway  Spruce. 

The  White  Pine — Pinus  Strobus,  is  so  well  known  it 
needs  no  description  here.  /In  Pennsylvania,  New  York, 
New  England,  Michigan,  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota  it  has 
been  very  abundant,  and  in  parts  of  Michigan,  Wisconsin 
and  Minnesota  it  still  is.  It  is  the  tree  from  which  our 


(16) 

common  pine  lumber  is  made.  It  is  one  of  the  most  grace- 
ful trees  of  the  pine  family.  If  it  were  a  rare  foreign  tree, 
its  beauty  would  be  appreciated.  It  grows  well  on  the 
bluff,  and  should  be  more  extensively  cultivated  for  orna- 
ment. 

Perhaps  it  may  be  proper  to  add  the  Yellow  Pine — Pinus 
mitis.  It  is  rather  a  pretty  evergreen  and  will  grow  on  the 
bluff. 

The  Norway  Spruce — Abies  Excelsa,  is  one  of  the  finest 
of  evergreens.  It  is  a  lofty  forest  tree,  indigenous  to 
northern  Europe  and  Asia,  and  further  south  among  the 
mountains  where  it  is  very  abundant.  It  lives  to  a  great 
age.  It  is  said  by  Michaux  to  require  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years  to  develop  its  full  proportions.  Bryant  in  his 
work  on  forest  trees,  says:  "No  other  evergreen  is  more 
easily  raised  from  seed ;  no  other  is  more  cheaply  obtained 
from  nurseries;  no  other  is  more  successfully  transplanted. 
It  is  perfectly  hardy  ;  its  growth  is  vigorous  and  rapid ;  its 
branches  and  foliage  dense  and  compact,  and  it  readily 
adapts  itself  to  a  variety  of  soils  and  climate.  Its  lower 
branches  are  persistent;  its  growth  is  perfectly  upright, 
and  where  room  is  allowed,  it  pushes  its  limbs  out  in  all 
directions  in  defiance  of  the  force  of  the  wind." 

The  Hemlock — Abies  Canadensis,  is  a  graceful  tree,  with 
dense,  dark  green  foliage,  a  native  of  the  colder  parts  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada.  It  will  doubtless  thrive  best 
where  it  is  somewhat  protected  from  the  sun. 

Bryant  says  of  it:  "Although  despised  as  'common' 
by  many  in  the  countries  where  it  is  native,  the  Hemlock 
has  few,  if  any,  equals  among  evergreens  as  an  ornamental 
tree." 

The  Balsam  Fir — Abies  Balsamea,  is  handsome  while 
young,  but  is  short  lived  and  of  little  value. 

The  Red  Cedar — Juniperus  Virginiana,  does  reasonably 
well  on  the  declivities  of  the  bluff.  Its  growth,  however, 


(17) 

is  very  slow,  and  in  the  winter  its  foliage  becomes  dark  and 
dingy. 

The  Dwarf  or  Ground  Juniper  —  Juniperus  Communis, 
and  the  Sweedish  and  Irish  Junipers,  which  aite  varieties 
of  this  species,  is  an  evergreen  which  we  must  not  overlook 
or  neglect.  It  might  have  been  placed  among  the  other 
shrubs,  but  I  prefer  noticing  it  here.  It  is  a  prostrate  or 
ascending  shrub,  with  a  profusion  of  branches  spreading 
in  all  directions,  and  is  very  ornamental.  It  will  nourish 
on  the  most  exposed  gravelly  and  barren  knolls,  of  the  bluff 
where  few  other  things  will  grow.  If  extensively  planted 
in  these  places,  it  would  relieve  them  of  their  barren  aspect, 
and  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  our  city.  They  may  be 
obtained  at  most  of  the  nurseries. 

The  Arbor  Vita  —  Thuja  Occidentalis,  is  the  best  evergreen 
for  ornamental  screens  and  hedges.  It  prefers  rocky 
places,  the  borders  of  streams  or  swamps,  but  grows  well 
on  the  bluff,  as  it  does  on  prairie  soil  generally. 

Doubtless  other  evergreens  will  grow  here,  and  I  hope 
more  may  be  introduced  on  trial,  but  the  success  of  those 
we  have  named  is  already  an  assured  fact. 


In  this  climate,  all  transplanting  of  trees  should  be  done 
in  spring.  They  should  be  neither  too  large  nor  too  small, 
but  about  medium  size.  If  they  are  too  large  they  will  not  do 
so  well,  and  if  they  are  too  small  it  involves  an  unnecessary 
loss  of  time.  They  should  be  dug  up  carefully,  and  plenty  of 
roots  taken  with  them.  The  roots  should  be  exposed  neither 
to  the  sun  nor  cold  air,  nor  be  allowed  to  dry.  Many  trees 
are  ruined  in  this  way  before  they  are  set.  Never  buy  or 
receive  trees  that  are  brought  into  the  city  with  the  roots 
exposed,  unless  it  is  a  cloudy,  damp  day,  and  you  know 
they  have  been  recently  dug.  As  the  roots  are  necessarily 
more  or  less  broken  and  cut  off,  the  to^  should  be  cut  back 

3 


(18) 

in  proportion,  so  as  to  maintain  an  equilibrium  between 
them.  They  should  be  set  the  same  depth  or  a  little  deeper 
than  they  originally  grew.  Each  root  that  is  broken 
should  be  cut  smoothly  with  a  sharp  knife,  sloping  from 
the  tree  outwards,  with  the  cut  surface  downward. 
The  hole  should  be  large,  and  when  the  tree  is  set  in 
it,  filled  with  fine  earth  to  near  the  surface,  taking  care 
that  the  rootlets  are  well  spread  out  and  put  in  their  natu- 
ral position,  then  fill  up  with  water  and  while  it  is  settling, 
work  the  tree  up  and  down  so  that  every  crevice  will  be 
filled  with  earth,  in  a  semi-liquid  state;  in  this  way,  every 
root  will  come  in  immediate  contact  with  the  soil.  This 
is  one  of  the  most  important  things  to  be  observed  in  set- 
ting a  tree.  Then  fill  the  hole  to  a  level  with  the  surround- 
ing earth  and  mulch  with  old  straw,  rotted  leaves,  or 
(what  is  equally  good)  four  or  five  inches  of  sand,  this  will 
retain  the  moisture  till  the  roots  grow  and  acquire  strength 
to  support  themselves.  One  or  two  quarts  of  oats,  or  one- 
half  peck  of  potatoes  put  in  the  bottom  of  the  hole  before 
the  tree  is  set,  will  assist  in  retaining  moisture  about  the 
roots. 

It  is  a  good  plan,  especially  the  first  summer,  to  protect 
the  bodies  of  young  trees  from  the  sun,  as  many  of  them 
are  killed  by  it.  The  bodies  of  trees  need  no  sunlight. 
They  are  better  without  it.  In  their  native  state  they  are 
usually  protected  frora  the  sun  by  other  trees  when  young, 
and  as  they  grow  older,  their  own  tops  shade  them. 

For  the  first  few  years  it  is  better  to  spade  around  them 
every  spring,  and  mulch  them.  In  the  fall  when  the 
leaves  drop,  leave  them  under  and  around  the  trees,  they 
give  protection  to  the  roots  and  nutriment  to  the  soil. 
Leaves  should  never  be  removed  from  our  lawns  or  grass 
plats,  as  they  ^protect  the  grass  in  winter  and  enrich  the 
ground  more  than  anything  else  that  can  be  applied. 

When  trees  are  set  in  rows,  each  row  should  be  of  the 
same  kind.  Planting  different  species  in  the  same  row, 


(19) 

especially  alternating  them,  destroys  the  effect  and  shows 
bad  taste.  In  a  large  ground  or  park,  where  they  are 
planted  promiscuously,  in  imitation  of  nature,  a  judicious 
mingling  and  grouping  of  different  species  is  in  good  taste, 
and  gives  the  whole  a  natural  and  pleasing  appearance. 


The  same  principles  that  apply  to  the  transplanting  of 
deciduous  trees,  apply  also  to  evergreens,  but  greater  care 
is  necessary  to  insure  success.  There  is  one  difference, 
however,  the  tops  should  not  be  cut  back.  The  roots  must 
not  be  exposed  to  the  sun,  to  drying  winds,  or  to  cold.  As 
soon  as  the  tree  is'  taken  from  the  ground,  its  roots  should 
be  dipped  in  liquid  earth  and  then  covered  with  wet  can- 
vas, moss  or  straw,  so  as  to  retain  the  moisture  until  it  is 
reset.  A  failure  to  observe  this  will  be  likely  to  injure,  if 
not  ruin  it.  Cloudy  weather  is  the  better  time  to  trans- 
plant all  trees,  especially  evergreens. 

It  is  better  to  transplant  evergreens  while  small,  as  they 
will  then  make  better  trees  and  are  less  liable  to  die.  All 
authorities  agree  that  they  should  not  be  transplanted  dur- 
ing the  growing  season,  and  most  of  them  agree  that  here 
in  the  west,  the  best  time  is  in  early  spring. 

f)e<5iduou£  ¥fee£. 

As  a  general  rule,  the  less  shade  trees  are  pruned  the 
better.  Nature  will  form  a  better  top  and  a  more  harmo- 
nious tree  in  all  its  parts  than  art.  Severe  pruning  is  no 
longer  practiced  even  in  fruit  orchards  by  our  best  horticul- 
turists. The  custom  that  formerly  prevailed,  of  pruning 
evergreens  and  other  trees,  so  as  to  make  top-shaped,  ovate, 
and  other  fantastic  tops  is  no  longer  regarded  as  good  taste. 
If  you  want  a  tree  wi^h  a  low  spreading  top,  plant  one  that 
grows  that  way.  If  you  want  an  ovate  or  pyramidal  top, 


(20) 

plant  a  tree  that  will  make  such  a  top,  but  do  not  attempt 
to,  force  trees  to  assume  different  forms  from  those  which 
nature  gives  them.  Each  tree  treated  in  this  way  is  a 
standing  lie,  and  proclaims  to  every  passer-by  the  folly  of  its 
owner. 

The  true  idea  is  to  make  each  species  assume  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible the  typical  form,  of  that  species.  To  do  this,  some  pruning 
is  sometimes  necessary.  If  trees  are  not  crowded — if  each 
one  has  room  enough  for  the  air  and  sunlight  to  have  free 
access  to  it  on  all  sides,  it  will  round  out  and  develop  its 
full  proportions,  and  if  it  does  not  actually  attain  it,  will 
approximate  its  typical  form.  Where  the  lower  limbs  are 
in  the  way,  of  course  they  must  be  sacrificed,  but  where 
they  are  not,  leave  them  and  you  will,  have  a  finer  and 
more  thrifty  tree.  If  a  limb,  as  is  often  the  case  with  the 
elm  in  our  dry  soil,  extends  beyond  the  rest,  absorbing  the 
strength  and  destroying  the  symmetry  of  the  tree,  it  should 
be  cut  back  while  yet  small. 

The  Soft  Maple  often  throws  out  limbs  that  have  no 
firm  attachment  to  the  body,  and  will  sooner  or  later  split 
off;  these  should  be  removed  while  small.  The  idea  of 
cutting  back  the  top  of  a  soft  maple,  or  any  other  tree,  to 
prevent  it  from  becoming  top-heavy,  is  fallacious;  it  relieves 
for  the  time  but  makes  it  worse  afterward.  If  a  Soft 
Maple,  as  some  of  them  will  do,  breaks  bodily,  and  con- 
tinues to  do  so,  it  is  better  to  remove  it  and  plant  another 
in  its  place.  Severe  pruning  lowers  the  vitality  of  any 
ordinary  tree,  making  it  less  able  to  bear  the  drouth  and 
heat  of  summer,  and  the  cold  of  winter,  and  leaving  it  an 
easy  prey  to  borers  and  other  noxious  insects. 

As  a  strong  man  is  able  to  resist  disease,  so  a  vigorous 
tree  is  able  to  resist  the  attacks  of  its  enemies,  while  a 
feeble  one  succumbs. 

So  far  as  possible  all  limbs  should  be  removed  while 
small.  It  is  rarely  necessary  to  cut  a  large  limb  from  a 
tree  that  has  been  properly  cared  for. 


(21) 
fcrf  fVuning  ©ediduou^ 


On  this  question  there  is  much  difference  of  opinion 
among  tree-growers.  Some  contend  that  late  autumn  is 
the  best  time;  others,  that  it  should  be  done  while  the 
tree  is  in  its  most  vigorous  growth,  say  in  May  or  June; 
others  again,  in  the  early  part  of  the  growing  season,  when 
the  young  leaf  stems  first  show  themselves.  I  think  the 
last  is  the  most  favorable  time,  for  then  we  have  almost  the 
entire  summer's  growth  to  heal  over  the  wound.  All 
agree  that  the  worst  possible  time  is  in  early  spring,  just 
when  people  usually  prune.  If  pruning  is  done  at  this 
time,  as  soon  as  the  sap  begins  to  flow,  it  exudes  from  the 
wounds,  weakens  the  tree,  and  is  apt  to  cause  the  wood  to 
decay.  Trees  recently  transplanted  are  an  exception,  they 
do  not  suffer  in  this  way,  and  for  special  reasons,  usually 
require  more  or  less  pruning  when  set  out.  The  wound 
left  after  removing  a  large  limb  is  best  treated  by  a  mud 
plaster,  bound  on  with  a  cloth.  Wax  which  is  often  recom- 
mended becomes  heated  by  the  sun,  and  is  liable  to  irritate 
and  blister  the  parts  around  the  wound.  The  wounds  that 
are  made  in  cutting  off  small  limbs  need  no  application. 

There  is  usually  a  ridge,  called  the  collar,  around  the 
base  of  each  limb.  It  has  been  a  subject  of  dispute  whether 
this  collar  should  be  removed  with  the  limb  or  left  on  and 
the  limb  cut  outside  of  it.  I  prefer  removing  it.  If  it  is 
not  removed  it  is  apt  to  die  down  to  the  body  of  the  tree. 
There  are  often  latent  buds  in  this  collar  which  develop 
when  the  limb  is  taken  off.  Though  in  removing  it  the 
cut  surface  is  a  little  larger,  yet  it  heals  over  quicker  and 
smoother,  and  there  is  no  sprouting  around  it. 


Deciduous  shade  trees  require  little  pruning,  and  ever- 
greens, still  less.  The  beauty  of  an  evergreen  is  spoiled 
when  the  lower  limbs  are  removed.  If  anv  ot  the  side 


(22) 

branches  become  irregular  or  grow  out  of  proportion,  they 
should  be  shortened.  If  the  tree  throws  up  two  or  more 
leaders,  all  but  one  should  be  removed.  "If  the  leader  is 
lost,  it  may  be  restored  by  lashing  a  rod  to  the  stem  of  the 
tree,  and  tying  one  of  the  side  shoots  to  it,  in  a  position  as 
nearly  upright  as  possible."  If  you  fail  in  this,  dig  up  the 
tree,  and  put  another  in  its  place. 


There  are  in  this  vicinity  a  number  of  ornamental 
shrubs  to  which  I  wish  to  call  attention.  They  are  not 
appreciated  for  two  reasons:  first,  though  growing  around 
us,  they  are  scarcely  known,  and  second,  they  do  not  come 
from  Europe,  China,  Japan  or  some  other  foreign  country. 

The  Amelanchier  Canadensis  —  June  Berry,  Service  Berry, 
Shad  Bush,  is  intermediate  between  a  tree  and  a  shrub, 
attaining  to  the  hight  of  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet,  belongs 
to  the  Rosacese  family,  has  a  graceful  form,  clean  bark,  and 
beautiful  foliage.  It  covers  itself  in  early  spring  before 
the  leaves  are  out,  with  a  profusion  of  racemes  of  white 
flowers  which  are  very  beautiful.  It  bears  an  edible  berry 
about  the  size  of  a  huckleberry.  It  grows  on  the  river 
hills  above  Prospect  Hill,  across  the  river  among  the  bluffs, 
and  also  on  Kickapoo  Creek.  It  is  hardy,  and  few  shrubs 
are  more  ornamental.  There  is  one  in  the  grounds  of  the 
late  Charles  Ballance,  on  South-Adams  street,  and  one  in 
the  yard  of  Mr.  James,  corner  Monroe  and  Jackson  streets. 
A  few  others  have  been  introduced  and  have  given  satis- 
faction. 

The  Red  Bud  —  Cercis  Canadensis,  is  a  large  shrub  or 
small  tree  of  the  Leguminosae  order,  with  large  heart-shaped, 
smooth,  entire,  pointed  leaves,  and  in  early  spring  before 
the  leaves  appear,  bears  a  profusion  of  red-purple  flowers. 
It  is  clean,  free  from  insects,  holding  its  leaves  till  late 
autumn.  It  prefers  rich  soil  and  is  easily  cultivated.  It 


(23) 

is  common  in  this  vicinity  and  deserves  more  attention  than 
it  has  received. 

There  are  three  species  and  a  number  of  varieties  of  the 
Red  Haw  in  this  vicinity,  Cratagus  coccinea,  tomentosa  and 
Crus-galli,  all  of  which  are  worthy,  of  cultivation.  They 
are  large  and  very  hardy  shrubs,  some  of  them  attaining 
to  the  size  of  small  trees.  They  all  bear  white  flowers  in 
the  spring,  and  red  berries  in  the  fall.  They  belong  to  the 
Rosacese  family  and  are  no  mean  representatives  of  it. 

The  Black  Haw —  Viburnum  /Lentago  belongs  to  the 
Honeysuckle  family,  and  is  a  la£ge  handsome  shrub.  It 
bears  some  resemblance  to  the  Snowball,  but  is  a  finer  shrub. 
It  blooms  in  May  and  June,  flowers  white  in  large  flat  com- 
pound cymes.  It  will  grow  in  any  soil,  but  prefers  rich 
loam. 

The  Staphylea  trifolia — Staff-tree,  American  Bludder 
Nut,  is  one  of  my  little  favorites.  It  grows  in  thickets 
usually  on  moist  hill  sides,  eight  or  ten  feet  high,  slender, 
with  greenish  striped  branches,  trifoliate  leaves,  pendent 
racemes,  of  greenish  white  flowers,  pods  membranous, 
inflated  three  lobed,  about  an  inch  long  and  three-fourths 
of  an  inch  in  diameter.  A  specimen  may  be  seen  in  my 
side  yard. 

The  Red-osier — Cornus  stolonifera,  is  found  in  boggy 
places,  but  will  grow  in  any  moist  soil.  The  branches  and 
long,  slender  annual  shoots,  are  bright  red-purple,  very 
handsome.  It  multiplies  freely  by  subterranean  suckers, 
and  forms  broad  clumps  six  to  ten  feet  high.  It  bears 
white  flowers  in  June,  and  white  to  lead  colored  fruit  in 
the  fall. 

The  Cornus  alternifolia  —  Alternate  Leaved  cornel,  is 
a  little  taller  shrub,  found  on  hill,  sides  in  copses,  with 
slender,  greenish  branches,  broad  cymes  of  handsome  white 
flowers,  and  pretty  foliage,  the  whole  presenting  a  grace- 
ful appearance. 


(24) 

The  Amorpha  fruticosa — False  Indigo,  grows  in  moist 
places  on  the  banks  of  streams,  is  common  around  here, 
and  should  be  introduced  in  our  grounds.  It  belongs  to 
the  Legurninosae  family,  has  pinnate  leaves,  and  clustered, 
terminal  spikes  of  violet  purple  flowers.  As  found  in  this 
vicinity,  it  is  usually  six  to  eight  feet  high,  but  it  is  some- 
times much  taller. 

The  Euonymus  atropurpureus  —  Waahoo,  Burning  Bush, 
is  common  in  our  woods  and  thickets,  will  grow  in  sun- 
shine or  shade,  but  prefers  partially  shaded  places.  When 
fully  developed  it  is  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  high.  It  is  a 
pretty  shrub,  with  green,  four-sided  branches,  arid  bears 
panicles  of  little  purple  flowers.  In  autumn  when  covered 
with .  its  deeply  lobed  crimson  fruit,  drooping  on  long 
peduncles,  it  is  very  ornamental.  It  requires  little  room, 
and  will  do  well  in  places  that  are  so  shaded  nothing  else 
will  grow.  It  should  be  sheltered  from  the  north  wind. 

The  Euonymus  Europceus,  is  cultivated  and  highly 
esteemed  a  little  further  south,  but  is  not  quite  hardy 
here.  Our  Euonymus  is  almost  as  handsome  and  is  hardy, 
though  it  flourishes  best  in  protected  places. 

The  Euonymus  Japanica  is  a  common  greenhouse  shrub. 

The  common  Sumac — Rhus  glabra,  is  so  common  we  do 
not  realize  that  it  is  pretty,  yet  it  is,  and  should  be  in  every 
one's  grounds.  It  always  grows  and  looks  fresh,  never 
becomes  large,  and  lives  to  a  great  age. 

The  Aromatic  Sumac — Rhus  aromaticus,  grows  from 
four  to  six  feet  high,  is  ascending,  inclined  to  spread  around 
loosely,  has  pretty  aromatic  foliage,  and  spikes  of  little  yel- 
low flowers  appearing  before  the  leaves  in  early  spring. 
These  flowers,  like  the  flowers  of  the  soft  maple,  and  many 
other  plants,  are  formed  during  the  fall,  and  have  only  to 
expand  when  the  warm  weather  comes  in  the  spring.  It 
loves  dry,  gravelly  places,  and  will  flourish  where  nothing 
else  will.  These  two  species  of  Rhus  belong  to  a  poisonous 
family,  but  are  innocent  members  of  it. 


(25) 


Vines  are  rny  favorites.  No  grounds  are  complete 
without  them.  Nature  never  plants  a  park  without  inter- 
spersing it  with  vines.  There  is  a  peculiar  grace  and 
beauty  —  a  charm  about  vines,  that  pertains  to  nothing  else. 
They  are  the  poetry  of  the  forest,  the  emblem  of  affection, 
the  companion  of  love.  In  her  distribution  of  them, 
nature  has  not  forgotten  us.  Let  us  not  forget  them. 

The  Ampleopsis  quinquifolia  —  Virginia  Creeper,  is  a 
woody  vine  of  vigorous  growth,  climbing  to  the  tops  of  our 
highest  trees.  It  will  cover  the  side  of  a  brick  or  stone 
house,  clinging  to  the  walls  by  its  tendrils,  which  do  not 
penetrate  them  but  adhere  to  the  surface  by  little  discs,  on 
atmospheric  principles,  just  as  a  tree  frog  holds  to  a  tree. 
They  become  so  firmly  fastened  they  will  break  before  they 
loosen  their  hold.  It  has  five  leaflets  and  may  thus  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  poison  Ivy,  which  has  but  three.  The 
northwest  side  of  Mr.  Lightner's  house  is  covered  with 
this  vine.  It  is  well  suited  for  covering  large  arbors. 

The  common  wild  grape  vine,  though  worthless  for 
fruit,  makes  a  good  covering  for  arbors.  It  is  better  for 
this  purpose  than  the  tame  grape,  because  it  is  more  hardy 
and  grows  more  rapidly.  This  and  the  Ampleopsis  belong 
to  the  same  family. 

The  Tecoma  radicans  —  Trumpet  Creeper,  Trumpet 
Flower,  is  a  beautiful  woody  vine,  very  hardy,  a  rapid 
grower,.  with  pinnate  leaves,  leaflets  five  to  eleven,  flowers 
two  to  three  inches  long,  orange  and  scarlet,  very  showy. 
This  vine  may  be  trained  into  any  shape  that  is  desired. 
It  will  grow  almost  anywhere.  It  merits  more  attention 
than  it  has  received.  Hundreds  of  them  may  be  obtained 
in  the  river  bottom  on  this  side  of  the  lake  below  the  Nar- 
rows. 

The  Celastrus  scandens  —  Wax  Work,  Climbing  Bitter- 
sweet, False  Bittersweet  is  a  hardy  woody  vine,  common  in 


(26) 

our  woods  and  should  be  cultivated  more  in  the  city.  The 
leaves  are  medium  sized,  ovate  oblong,  finely  serrate 
pointed.  "The  opening  orange-colored  pods  displaying  the 
scarlet  covering  of  the  seeds  are  very  ornamental  in 
autumn,"  and  remain  so  till  the  middle  of  winter.  The 
only  one  I  know  of  in  the  city  is  in  my  yard. 

The  Menispermum  Canadense — Moouseed,  Yellow  Ferrilla, 
is  a  handsome  little  twiner  with  smooth  bark  and  large 
pretty  leaves,  loves  rich  soil  and  shady  places.  It  is  one 
of  the  modest  little  things  that  no  one  can  observe  with- 
out admiring.  A  specimen  may  be  seen  twining  round  a 
little  Box  Elder  tree  in  my  front  yard.  It  is  common  in 
thickets  in  rich  bottom  land.  The  stem  is  smooth  and 
slender.  It  bears  panicles  of  delicate  little  yellowish  white 
flowers  in  summer,  and  little  round  clusters  of  purple  fruit 
in  autumn,  but  its  chief  beauty  is  its  foliage. 

The  Clematis  Virginiana — common  Virgin's  Bower,  is 
not  uncommon  in  thickets  around  Peoria.  This  vine  is  a 
little  wood}',  but  chiefly  herbaceous  ;  therefore  dying  back 
in  winter,  but  each  year  throwing  out  a  vigorous  growth. 
It  is  a  profuse  bloomer,  flowers  white,  and  the  fruit  pi  uni- 
ons with  conspicuous  feathery  tails  that  are  curious  and 
ornamental. 

The  Dioscorea  villosa — Wild  Yam,  is  the  most  elegant  of 
our  indigenous  vines.  It  is  the  rare  beauty  of  our  woods. 
No  one  can  see  it  without  admiring  it.  It  is  a  delicate 
herbaceous  vine.  It  loves  the  thickets,  is  modest  and  retir- 
ing. If  it  came  from  Japan  it  would  be  esteemed  and 
cultivated.  It  grows  around  us  and  we  scarcely  know  it. 
"  Verily,  a  prophet  is  not  without  honor  save  in  his  own 
country."  It  is  the  only  representative  we  have  of  the 
Dioscorea  or  Yam  family.  It  is  an  endogen  with  net-veined 
leaves,  which  is  an  exception  to  the  rule.  The  flowers  are 
not  conspicuous,  greenish  yellow,  the  sterile  in  drooping 
panicles,  the  fertile  in  drooping  simple  racemes,  the  fruit 
three  angled  or  winged,  pods  nearly  an  inch  long,  stems 
slender  from  large  knotty  and  matted  rootstocks. 


(2?) 

Adluma  cirrhosa  —  Climbing  Fumitory,  is  not  indi- 
genous to  this  vicinity,  but  is  found  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  state,  Indiana  and  Ohio.  It  is  a  handsome  climbing 
biennial  vine  with  delicate  foliage,  thrice  pinnate  leaves,  cut 
lobed  little  leaflets,  and  ample  panicles  of  drooping  pale, 
flesh-colored  flowers.  It  climbs  over  high  bushes,  and  in 
cultivation  makes  elegant  festoons  and  bowers  in  shady 
places.  It  may  be  obtained  at  Mr.  Frederick's  greenhouse. 


If  our  streets  were  lined  with  shade  trees,  and  our 
yards  properly  set  with  them,  and  with  shrubbery  and  vines, 
they  would  absorb  much  of  the  carbonic  acid  gas  that  gen- 
erates in  excess  in  all  cities  and  places  where  great  numbers 
of  men  or  animals  congregate.  They  would  perceptibly 
modify  the  intensity  of  the  heat  and  dryness  of  the  atmos- 
phere in  summer,  and  add  much  to  the  healthfulness, 
comfort  and  beauty  of  the  city. 

It  is  well  known,  that  in  summer  much  of  our  sick- 
ness, especially  among  children,  is  caused  chiefly  by  intense 
heat.  Reduce  the  temperature  ten  degrees,  and  you  will 
lessen  the  percentage  of  mortality  from  cholera  infantum 
and  allied  diseases  of  children  twenty-five  to  fifty  per  cent. 
Our  broad,  naked,  sandy  streets;  our  unnecessarily  broad, 
brick  sidewalks,  the  walls  and  roofs  of  our  houses,  reflect 
the  heat  from  the  burning  rays  of  the  sun  until  the  whole 
atmosphere  at  times  becomes  like  a  heated  oven.  No 
wonder  many  persons  become  suddenly  sick  and  die.  No 
wonder  multitudes  of  little  children,  the  light  and  hope  of 
the  family  succumb,  and  our  cemeteries  are  dotted  all  over 
with  little  graves. 

Except  in  the  business  part  of  the  city,  one-half  of  all 
our  wide  streets  should  be  converted  into  grass  plats  and 
set  in  trees.  Every  property  owner  should  be  required  to 
care  for  and  protect  these  grass  plats  and  trees  the  same  as 
and  even  more  than  his  sidewalks. 


(28) 

Most  of  our  streets  are  eighty  feet  wide.  Make  a 
drive-way  in  the  center  thirty-five  or  forty  feet  wide,  which 
for  this  purpose  is  now  and  always  will  he  enough;  make 
the  sidewalks  eight  feet  wide,  which  will  give  ample  room, 
and  leave  the  intervening  space  on  either  side  for  grass 
plats  and  trees,  and  we  will  have  streets  that  are  convenient 
and  present  a  tasteful  and  elegant  appearance. 

When  this  is  done,  and  the  trees  have  had  a  few  years 
to  grow,  the  increased  heat  our  improvements  have  made, 
will  be  materially  modified  and  our  death  rate  lessened  in 
proportion. 

I  am  happy  to  say,  that  a  move  in  this  direction  was 
made  last  year  on  Madison  and  some  other  streets,  and  I 
hope  it  will  be  extended  throughout  the  city  generally. 
"When  these  improvements  are  completed,  it  will  be  com- 
paratively little  expense  to  gravel  or  pave  our  streets. 
Then  with  our  location  and  surroundings,  which  for  variety 
and  beauty  are  unequalled,  surely  not  surpassed,  and  with 
the  general  cultivation  of  good  taste,  to  which  these  would 
lead,  we  would  have  one  of  the  most  cheerful  and  pleasant 
cities  in  the  world. 


TO  OBSERVERS. 


The  reader  having  carefully  perused  the  excellent  remarks  of 
Dr.  STEWART  on  the  several  varieties  of  shade  trees  best  adapted  for 
the  climate  in  and  about  the  City  of  Peoria,  will  observe  that, 
however  much  care  and  labor  is  expended  in  procuring  the  kinds 
recommended,  the  insect  foes  are  ready  to  commence  their  ravages, 
and  unless  careful  attention  is  given  them,  will  mar  if  not  destroy 
the  fruits  of  the  expended  labor. 

The  following  treatise  is  intended  to  point  out  and  describe  the 
most  destructive  insects  found  in  our  city,  and  the  simplest  as  well 
as  most  effectual  remedies  known  for  their  destruction.  I  would 
call  particular  attention  to  the  maple  tree  bark-louse—  Lecanium 
Acericola,  found  at  the  present  time  in  such  numbers  upon  the 
aforesaid  tree.  This  insect  appeared  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  during  the 
years  1870  and  1872,  in  such  numbers  as  to  excite  much  attention, 
but  the  natural  enemies  came  to  the  rescue  and  destroyed  many  of 
them.  Whether  they  will  appear  here  or  not  remains  to  be  seen. 

EMMA  A.  SMITH. 


Skdkberty 


HACKBERRY  MAMMA -GALL.     PsyUa  celtides-  mamma.  RILEY. 
(HEMIPTERA.  PSYLLID^E.) 

The  Psylla  cdtides-mamma  is  the  only  insect  found  upon 
the  leaves  of  Hackberry  tree.  Prof.  C.  V.  Riley  has 
described  the  insect  in  Johnson's  Encyclopaedia  as  follows  : 

"The  Psylla  form 
galls  of  various 
shapes  and  sizes  on 
the  stems  and  leaves 
of  Hackberry  (Cdtis). 
In  life  -  habits  they 
differ  from  all  the 
other  gall-insects,and 
agree  with  their  near- 
est  relatives,  the 
plant  -  lice,  only  in 
being  the  architect  of 
their  own  galls.  The 
egg — glued  in  spring 
to  tender  leaf  or  twig 
— soon  hatches,  and 
under  the  irritation 
caused  by  the  young 
Psylla,  the^gall  soon 
imbeds  it.  Within 
this  gall  the  insect 
dwells  till  it  has  ac- 
quired the  pupa  state, 
which  is  generally  by 
the  time  the  leaves 

of   gall  enlarged,  showing    insect    within;    c,  pupa,        begin     tO      tum      and 
greatly  enlarged,  showing  spines  at  tip  of  body,  by         i  m  i  i 

which  the  gall  is  perforated  for  escape.  drop.          1  D  6  n,      by 

means  of  certain  horny  spines  or  thorns  at  the  end  of  its 


HACKBF.RRY   MAMMA-GALL,  (made   by    Psylla    celtides 
mamma);  a,  leaf  with  galls,  natural  size;  6,  sectio 


(32) 


body,  this  pupa  works  its  way  out  of  its  prison,  and  once 
out  soon  gives  forth  the  perfect  fly.  The  galls  made  by 
these  flea-lice  are  usually  quite  hard  and  woody,  and  gen- 
erally one-celled." 


THE  COXCOMB  —  ELM  GALL.     Pemphigus  ulmicola.  FITCH. 
(HEMIPTERA.  APHID^E.) 

The  leaves  of  the  young  Elms  were  very  much  infested 
with  the  galls  of  this  insect,  during  the  past  season,  in  the 
valley  of  Springdale  Cemetery. 

ITS  NATURAL  HISTORY. 

The  egg  deposited  in  the  fall,  hatches  in  early  spring, 
and  the  young  larva  stations  itself  upon  the  leaf,  causing 

that  part  to  bulge 
out  into  a  comb- 
like  appearance, 
finally  closing  en- 
tirely, making  a 
kind  of  prison.  This 
is.  the  wingless 
mother-louse.  The 
gall  increases  as  the 
inhabitants  af  the 
gall  increase  in 
number  and  size.  One  louse  will  give  birth  to  hundreds 
of  very  minute  and  wingless  young  larvae,  and  by  the  end 
of  June  or  beginning  of  July  the  gall  becomes  full  of  lice 
fully  grown  and  winged.  The  leaf  is  then  forced  open  — 
under  the  gall  —  and  they  make  their  escape  into  the  open 
air.  Parasites  are  often  found  inhabiting  the  same  gall 
with  them,  and  man}'  are  thus  destroyed.  These  resemble 
the  authors  of  the  gall  so  closely  that  it  often  requires  con- 
siderable knowledge  of  Entomology  to  distinguish  one 
from  the  other. 


THE  COXCOMB— ELM  OALL. 


(33) 

The  young  Elms  only  are  thus  infested.  When  the 
trees  are  about  twenty-five  feet  high  the  insect  ceases  to 
trouble  them,  and  generally  the  younger  the  trees  the 
greater  number  of  galls  found  upon  them. 

Eriosoma  ulmi.  RILEY,  OR  DOWNY  LICE. 
(HEMIPTERA.  APHID^.) 

The  bark  of  the  Elm  is  subject  to  the  attacks  of  a  woolly 
plant  louse,  often  proving  their  destruction.  The  young 
lice  cluster  together  and  cause  a  knotty,  unnatural  growth 
of  the  wood.  They  are  found  in  between  the  crevices 
formed  by  these  knots,  subsisting  on  the  sap  which  exudes 
from  the  holes  made  by  the  punctures  of  their  beaks.  A 
downy  or  woolly  matter  is  secreted  from  all  parts  of  the 
body,  but  mostly  from  the  posterior  end.  The  lice  are 
often  imbedded  in  the  substance  and  hidden  from  view. 

The  matured  insect  is  found  on  the  tree  with  the  larva? 
and  pupae,  about  the  first  of  July.  Prof.  Riley  has  found 
washing  the  trunk  of  the  tree  with  a  weak  solution  of 
cresylic  acid  soap  will  kill  them  instantly.  They  are  preyed 
upon  by  the  larvae  of  a  Lacewing  fly.  (Ckrysopa  eriosoma.) 

The  Vanessa  Antiopa.  LINN^US. 
(LEPIDOPTERA.  VANESSA.) 

During  the  summer  of  1875,  the  leaves  of  the  Elm  were 
very  much  riddled  by  the  caterpillars  of  this  butterfly. 

The  natural  history  of  the  insect  is  as  follows :  The 
eggs  are  deposited  in  clusters,  during  the  latter  part  of  May 
or  first  of  June,  on  the  twigs  of  the  Elm,  Poplar  and  Willow. 
The  caterpillars  live  together,  feeding  on  the  under  side  of 
the  leaves.  In  about  one  month  they  become  fully  grown  ; 
are  black,  minutely  dotted  with  white,  with  a  row  of  eight 
dark  brick-red  spots  on  the  top  of  the  back.  The  head  is 
black,  and  rough  with  projecting  points ;  the  spines,  of 
which  there  are  six  or  seven  on  each  segment  except  the 
first,  are  black,  stiff  and  branched ;  the  intermediate  legs 
reddish.  The  insect  measures  an  inch  and  three-quarters 
in  length. 


(34) 

They  are  very  voracious,  and  when  occurring  in  great 
numbers,  will  strip  whole  limbs,  marring  the  beauty  of  the 
tree,  and  often  seriously  injuring  it.  Having  attained  full 
growth,  they  suspend  themselves  from  some  object,  and 
change  into  a  chrysalis  of  a  dark  brown  color,  with  large, 
tawny  spots  around  the  tubercles  on  the  back.  After 
remaining  in  this  position  from  eleven  to  twelve  days,  the 
butterfly  appears, — the  whole  time  consumed,  irom  the  egg 
to  the  butterfly,  being  a  little  over  one  month.  There  are 
two  broods  each  year,  the  butterfly  of  the  second  brood 
hybernating,  and  may  be  found,  during  the  winter  months, 
under  the  eaves  of  houses,  and  in  secluded  places,  appar- 
ently lifeless,  but  reviving  when  brought  into  a  warm  room. 

As  soon  as  the  first  warm  days  of  spring  appear,  this 
butterfly  may  be  seen  flying,  often  presenting  a  dilapidated 
appearance.  It  expands  from  three  to  three  and  a  half 
inches.  The  upper  side  of  the  wings  is  purplish  brown, 
with  a  broad  buff-yellow  margin,  near  the  inner  edge  of 
which  there  is  a  row  of  pale-blue  spots ;  the  under  side  is  a 
mottled  wood-color.  In  the  sunlight  this  butterfly  pre- 
sents a  beautiful  appearance.  Gathering  the  caterpillars, 
and  destroying  them,  is  the  only  artificial  remedy  I  know 
of.  This  is  comparatively  easy,  from  their  habit  of  cluster- 
ing together  on  the  leaves. 

Tremex  Columba,  OF  LINNAEUS. 
(HYMENOPTERA.  TREMEX.) 

This  insect  can  be  seen  on  the  trunks  of  the  Elm,  Pear 
and  Button  wood,  during  the  months  of  July  and  August. 
The  body  of  the  female  is  cylindrical,  about  as  thick  as  a 
small  lead  pencil,  and  more  than  an  inch  long,  exclusive  of 
the  borer,  which  itself  is  about  an  inch  in  length,  and  pro- 
jects three-eighths  of  an  inch  beyond  the  end  of  the  body. 
It  is  concealed,  when  not  in  use,  between  two  narrow  rust- 
colored  side  pieces.  The  head  and  thorax  are  rust-colored 
varied  with  black.  Across  the  back  are  seven  ochre-yellow 
transverse  bands.  The  antennae  are  rather  short  and  rust- 


(35) 

colored.  The  wings,  four  in  number,  are  smoky-brown  and 
semi-transparent.  The  legs  are  ochre-yellow  with  blackish 
thighs. 

When  about  to  lay  her  eggs  she  draws  her  borer  out  of 
its  sheath  till  it  stands  perpendicularly  under  the  middle  of 
the  body;  then  she  plunges  it  through  the  bark  into  the 
wood.  When  the  hole  is  made  deep  enough  she  then  drops 
an  egg  therein,  conducting  it  by  means  of  the  two  furrowed 
pieces  of  the  sheath.  The  borer  often  pierces  the  wood  to 
the  depth  of  half  an  inch  or  more,  and  not  unfrequently 
becomes  a  victim  to  her  own  zeal  and  labor,  driving  in  her 
borer  so  tightly  that  she  is  unable  to  extract  it  and  perishes 
from  starvation. 

The  eggs  are  oblong  and  less  than  one-twentieth  of  an* 
inch  in  length.  The  larva  is  a  yellowish  white,  of  a  cylin- 
drical shape,  with  a  horny  point  on  the  upper  part  of  the 
hinder  extremity.  They  feed  exclusively  on  wood,  making 
long  passages  through  it  and  destroying  much  valuable 
timber.  As  they  grow  very  slowly,  and  remain  several 
years  in  the  larva  state,  they  often  become  injurious  to 
whole  forests  of  trees. 

The  Tremex  is  considered  one  of  the  most  destructive 
insects  in  the  eastern  states.  In  the  year  1873,  I  received 
from  Oregon,  Illinois,  a  piece  of  Hickory  bark  with  the 
female  attached,  who,  being  unable  to  extract  her  borer, 
had  perished.  They  had  destroyed  many  of  the  trees  in 
that  part  of  the  state. 

The  larva  is  often  destroyed  by  the  maggots  of  two  kinds 
of  Ichneumon  flies,  (Pimpla  atraia  and  lunator^)  Fabricius. 
These  flies  thrust  their  slender  borers,  measuring  from  three 
to  four  inches  in  length,  into  the  trunks  of  trees  inhabited 
by  the  grubs  of  the  Tremex,  and  their  life  is  often  lost  by 
being  in  like  manner  fastened  to  the  trunks  of  the  trees. 

The  male  of  the  Tremex  Columba  is  very  unlike  the  female 
in  color,  form  and  size,  and  is  not  furnished  with  the 
remarkable  borer  of  the  other  sex.  He  is  rust-colored, 
variegated  with  black.  His  antennae  are  rust-colored  or 


(36) 

blackish.  His  hind  body  is  flattened  rather  widest  behind, 
and  ends  with  a  conical  horn.  His  hind  legs  are  of  a 
blackish  color  and  shaded  with  black.  He  is  longer  than 
the  female,  and  his  wings  expand  from  one  inch  and  a 
quarter  to  two  inches  or  more  in  length. 


Datana  Mimstra.  DRURY.  YELLOW-NECKED  CATERPILLARS. 
(LEPIDOPTERA. 


0 


The  larvae  of  this  moth  is  found  on  both  fruit  and  orna- 
mental trees,  among  which  are  the  Apple,  Quince,  Pear, 
the  American  Linn,  Walnut  and  Surnac. 

The  moth 
varies  in  color 
according  to 
the  food  pre- 
viously fed 
upon.  When 
the  wings  are 
expanded 

MINISTRA;  a,  larva;  6,  moth  ;  c,  eggs;  d,  egg  enlarged.        they   measure 

from  one  and  a  half  to  two  and  a  half  inches.  The 
under  wings  are  much  lighter  in  color  than  the  upper, 
being  usually  of  a  pale-yellowish,  or  whitish  color ;  the 
posterior  margin  of  a  deeper  color.  The  upper  wings  vary 
from  bright  yellow  to  smoky  brown,  crossed  by  four  or  five 
narrow  bands.  The  body  itself  is  of  a  yellowish  color, 
sometimes  inclining  to  red.  The  larvae,  when  matured, 
differ  in  appearance  to  some  extent  according  to  the  food. 
Those  found  upon  the  American  Linn  have  four  narrow, 
pale-yellow  stripes  upon  the  sides  of  the  body,  while  those 
upon  the  Black  Walnut  are  black  without  stripes.  They 
are  about  two  inches  in  length. 

The  eggs  are  deposited  on  the  under  side  of  the  leaves, 


(37) 

in  a  dense  patch,  from  seventy  to  one  hundred  in  number ; 
these  are  white  and  round.  As  soon  as  hatched,  the  larvae 
commence  eating  the  under  side  of  the  leaves;  but,  as  they 
increase  in  size,  they  eat  the  entire  leaf,  except  the  midrib. 
They  do  not  spin  a  common  web,  as  the  tent-caterpillars 
do;  yet  are  strictly  gregarious,  eating  from  one  branch  or 
twig  until  the  leaves  are  all  consumed,  and  then  migrating 
to  another 

The  most  interesting  feature  of  these  larvae  is  during 
the  moulting  season,  when  they  all  come  down  upon  the 
trunk  of  the  tree  and  cling  in  one  body  to  the  bark,  assisted 
in  this  position  by  a  silken  thread  passed  among  them. 
They  remain  in  this  position,  without  food,  usually  two 
days  and  two  nights,  when  they  cast  off  their  old  skins  and 
commence  crawling  up  the  trunk  of  the  tree  to  their  food, 
leaving  the  old  empty  skins  attached  to  the  tree. 

I  have  observed  them  on  the  Hickory,  clinging  to  one 
of  the  upper  branches,  when  moulting,  instead  of  coming 
down  ;  but  this  is  the  case  only  when  the  tree  is  old  enough 
for  the  branches  to  become  as  large  as  that  of  a  common- 
sized  tree.  When  suddenly  alarmed,  they  assume  a  peculiar 
position,  by  throwing  the  head  and  tail  at  right  angles  with 
the  rest  of  the  body,  as  seen  in  figure  at  a,  and  this  is  also  ob- 
served when  resting.  When  they  become  fully  grown,  their 
social  habits  change,  and  for  the  first  time  they  separate  and 
wander  off  alone,  before  entering  the  pupa  state.  They  do 
not  appear  until  mid-summer,  and  remain  until  the  frost 
has  destroyed  the  leaves  in  the  fall.  They  remain  in  the 
pupa  state,  under  ground,  during  the  winter,  changing 
to  the  moth  late  in  summer.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  they 
eat  the  entire  leaves  upon  a  branch  before  migrating  to 
another,  the  tree  assumes  an  unsightly  appearance  when 
cultivated  for  shade  or  ornament,  but  upon  fruit  trees  it 
decreases  the  vigor,  and  thereby  lessens  the  value  of  the 
fruit. 

They  can  be  easily  destroyed  during  any  of  the  moult- 


(38) 

ing  seasons,  by  detaching  the  caterpillars  from  the  trunk 
or  limb,  and  burning  or  scalding  them;  or,  by  breaking  off 
the  leaves  upon  which  they  are  feeding,  and  killing  them. 
Two  Ichneumon  flies  have  been  bred  from  them  which 
serves  to  keep  them  largely  in  check.  The  American 
Cuckoo  has  been  seen  in  the  act  of  devouring  them,  always 
seizing  the  insect  by  one  extremity  and  crushing  to  destroy 
vitality  before  swallowing. 

Okk  Wee. 

Stenocorus  putator.  PECK.  THE  OAK  PRUNER. 

(COLEOPTEBA,  CERAMBYCID.E.) 

During  the  latter  part  of  summer,  and  through  the 
autumn,  branches  from  one  to  four  feet  in  length  ma}7  be 
seen  under  the  Oak  trees.  The  branch  has  the  appearance 
of  being  sawed  from  the  tree,  but  upon  close  examination 
the  center  will  be  found  to  be  filled  with  saw-dust  like 
fillings.  Upon  splitting  the  cut  end  of  the  branch,  the 
larva  will  be  found,  thus  showing  the  cause  of  the  branch 
having  fallen.  Harris  states  that  the  branches  may.  be 
found  cut  from  the  tree  in  the  fall,  the  larva  remaining  in 
the  wood  during  the  winter,  transforming  to  a  pupa  in  the 
spring,  and  in  June  or  July  changed  to  a  beetle  and  comes 
out  of  the  branch.  Packard  states  it  undergoes  its  trans- 
formation in  mid-summer  and  lays  its  egg  near  the  axilla 
of  a  leaf,  stalk,  or  small  stem. 

Those  bred  by  myself,  were  found  as  early  as  the  25th 
of  July,  and  changed  to  the  perfect  insect  the  following 
May  10th. 

The  egg  is  deposited  on  a  small  branch, — four  or  five 
inches  from  the  main  branch — which  it  eventually  severs 
from  the  tree.  The  young  larva  hatches  and  obtains  its 
nourishment  from  the  pith,  boring  a  cylindrical  hole  as  it 


(39) 

proceeds.  Obtaining  its  full  growth,  it  cuts  the  wood 
away,  leaving  only  the  outside  bark;  then,  retreating,  it 
fills  the  entrance  of  the  hole  with  fibres  of  the  wood,  when 
the  action  of  the  wind  severs  the  whole  from  the  tree  and 
the  branch  falls  to  the  ground,  often  while  the  leaves  are 
yet  green. 

Why  the  insect  should  cut  the  branch  away,  I  am. 
unable  to  state,  since  it  undergoes  its  transformation  in  the 
branch.  The  beetle  is  slender,  long  horned,  of  a  dull, 
brown  color,  sprinkled  with  gray  spots,  composed  of  very 
short,  close  hairs,  and  ranging  in  length  from  four  and  a  half 
to  six-tenths  of  an  inch.  By  collecting  the  branches  in  the 
autumn  and  destroying  them,  the  development  of  the 
beetle  can  be  prevented. 


The  Sycamore  suffers  to  some  extent  from  the  boring  of 
the  Tremex  Columba — for  description  see  Elm — beyond  this, 
no  other  has,  as  yet,  come  under  my  observation. 

The  cleanliness  of  the  Catalpa  from  insect  depredation 
in  our  city,  has  often  caused  particular  attention.  The 
leaves  remain  perfect,  and  the  indications  on  the  trunk  and 
limbs  are  free  from  borers. 

goft 

Lecanium  Acericola.  RILEY.  BARK-LOUSE. 
(HEMIPTERA,  COCCID^E.) 

Especial  attention  should  be  called  to  the  ravages  of  the 
bark-louse,  Lecanium  acericola,  which  are  destroying  the 
Soft  Maple  trees  in  our  city.  They  were  first  observed  in 
the  summer  of  1874,  on  the  trees  in  front  of  the  ruins  of 
St.  Paul's  Church  on  Main  Street.  Since  then  they  have 


(40) 


increased  in   number  with  wonderful   rapidity,  and   have 

spread  down  Franklin  to  Second  Street. 

When  first  ob- 
served, a  small 
amount  of  labor 
would  have  exter- 
minated them,  but 
owing  to  negli- 
gence, the  trees 
which  form  the 
f~  principal  shade  in 
said  locality,  pre- 
sent  during  the 
summer  a  disgust- 
ing  and  unclean 
appearance.  The 
general  habits  of 
the  insect  are  as 
follows : 

In    the    early 

substance  surrounding  the  insect  at  b.  Spring    the    female 

is  found  on  the  bark  apparently  torpid.  As  warm  weather 
advances  the  body  is  more  swelled,  and  carefully  raising  it 
with  a  knife,  numerous  oblong  eggs  will  be  found,  the 
dead  body  forming  a  cover.  Under  this  shield  the 
young  are  hatched,  and  make  their  escape  from  the 
lower  end,  where  it  is  either  slightly  elevated  or  notched. 
They  then  wander  with  considerable  activity  over  leaf 
and  branch,  inserting  their  beaks  into  the  bark  or 
leaves,  drawing  up  the  sap,  which  nourishes  them. 
The  leaves  of  the  peach  tree  often  present  a  black 
appearance,  and  is  sticky  to  the  touch,  caused  by  the  drip- 
ping of  the  sap  from  the  numerous  punctures  made  by 
insects  belonging  to  the  Coccidce. 

While  the  Lecanium  acericola  continue  their  exhausting 
suction  of  sap,  they  increase  in  size,  and  during  this  time 
are  in  what  is  called  the  larva  state.  When  this  is  com- 


a,  Lecanium  acericola ;   6,  Lecanium  Madura,   tho  cottony 


(41) 

pleted  they  will  be  found  to  be  of  different  sizes,  and  thev 
then  prepare  for  a  change  that  is  about  to  take  place,  by 
emitting  from  the  under  side  of  their  body  numerous  little 
white  downy  threads,  which  fastened  to  the  bark,  serve  to 
secure  them.  The  larger  ones  are  females,  who  manage 
to  throw  oft'  this  covering  in  a  few  days,  and  become  fast- 
ened to  the  bark  as  a  scale,  where  they  become  immovable 
and  apparently  inanimate;  while  the  smaller  ones  continue 
under  their  outer  skins  which  serve  instead  of  cocoons, 
from  which  they  seem  to  shrink  and  detach  themselves  and 
transform  into  the  perfect  insect,  having  two  wings  which 
lie  on  the  top  of  the  body.  'After  the  larger  lice  have 
become  fixed,  and  have  thrown  oft'  their  outer  coats,  they 
enter  upon  the  pupa,  or  chrysalis  state.  But  when  they 
have  become  mature,  they  do  not  leave  the  skins,  or  shells, 
covering  their  bodies,  which  continue  flexible  for  a  time. 
These  larger  insects  are  females,  and  are  destined  to  remain 
immovable,  and  never  change  their  place  after  they  have 
once  become  stationary.'  After  the  insects  have  paired, 
the  female  increases  in  size  for  a  time,  and  then  remains 
without  alteration.  Under  this  skin  the  eggs  are  deposited, 
but  not  being  large  enough  to  cover  all  her  eggs,  a  white, 
dpwny  substance  issues  from  the  under  or  hinder  part  of 
her  body,  and  imbeds  them.  This  is  the  time  the  insects 
spread  from  tree  to  tree.  The  cottony  substance  is  light 
and  is  easily  borne  from  one  tree  to  another  by  the  wind, 
and  one  female  deposits  as  many  as  two  hundred  eggs. 

The  most  effective  time  for  destroying  the  insect  is 
while  the  young  are  crawling  over  leaf  and  branch ;  they 
are  then  tender,  and  almost  any  solution  of  soap  will  kill 
them.  The  time  depends  upon  the  advance  of  the  season, 
but  about  the  last  of  the  month  of  May  or  first  of  June. 

A  wash  made  of  two  pounds  of  potash  in  seven  quarts 
of  water,  or  a  pickle,  consisting  of  a  quart  of  common  salt 
to  two  gallons  of  water,  would  prove  a  cheap  and  effectual 
preventive.  Perhaps  the  best  application  is  a  wash  made 


(42) 

of  two  parts  of  soft  soap  and  eight  of  water,  with  which 
is  to  be  mixed  lime  enough  to  bring  it  to  the  consistence  of 
thick  whitewash.  The  larger  trees  already  infested  might 
be  saved  by  using  Babcock's  extinguisher.  They  are 
preyed  upon  to  some  extent  by  parasites. 

A  letter  received  March  19th,  from  J.  Duncan  Putnam, 
Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Davenport  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences,  states  that  the  Lecanium  acericola,  still 
continues  to  be  very  injurious  to  the  Maple  trees  in  that 
city,  though  it  spreads  very  slowly,  and  he  thinks  if  proper 
means  were  used,  its  injuries  could  be  checked.  The  best 
part  of  the  shade  trees  of  Davenport  have  been  almost 
entirely  destroyed.  He  thinks  the  best  preventive  would 
be  to  syringe  the  trees  with  water  in  which  tobacco  and 
soap,  or  some  other  poison  had  been  dissolved,  applied  at 
the  time  the  young  lice  are  hatching. 

MAPLE  LEAF  CUTTER.     Ornix  Acerifoliella.  FITCH. 
(LEPIDOPTERA.  TINEID.E.) 

During  the  summer  of  1875  my  attention  was  often 
called  to  the  appearance  of  the  Maples  growing  in  the 
forests.  They  seemed  as  though  nipped  with  frost.  When 
first  observed  it  was  about  the  first  of  August,  and  con- 
tinued increasing  until  the  fall  of  the  leaves  late  in  autumn. 
Upon  careful  examination  the  depredator  was  found  to  be 
a  small  white  worm  situated  under  a  covering  or  scale 
made  from  several  pieces  of  the  leaf,  and  feeding  on  the 
pulpy  substance.  The  worms  fall  with  the  leaves  to  the 
ground  in  the  autumn,  and  change  to  pupse  in  their  cases, 
where  they  may  be  found  in  the  spring.  When  warm 
weather  advances,  a  small  moth  appears,  of  a  dark,  bril- 
liant, blue  color,  with  a  bright  orange-yellow  head.  These 
insects  are  not  found  on  Maple  trees  used  for  shade  along 
the  street,  or  where  standing  alone  in  a  field,  but  only  in 
forests,  and  for  the  reason  that  the  leaves  in  the  streets  are 
either  gathered  and  destroyed  in  the  autumn,  or  blown 
about  by  the  wind,  and  trampled  under  foot,  thereby 


(43) 


destroying  the  worms,  while  those  in  the  forests  remain 
undisturbed.  This  difficulty  can  be  obviated  by  allowing 
cattle  or  sheep  to  range  the  ground. 

In  the  year  1850  the  forests  of  New  York  suffered  much 
from  this  insect,  but  afterwards  escaped,  owing  probably 
to  the  presence  of  a  parasite  in  the  pupae,  which  proved 
to  be  a  small  Ichneumon  fly. 

jEgeria  acerni.  (CLEMENS.)     THE  LEGGED-MAPLE  BORER. 
(LEPIDOPTERA  ^EGERIID^E.) 

The  Maple  trees  used  for  shade  are  injured  by  this 
borer  to  some  extent  in  Peoria.  The  eggs  are  deposited 
during  the  latter  part  of  May,  or  even  later,  in  the  crevices 
of  the  bark.  As  soon  as  the  eggs  hatch  the  worms  burrow 
under  the  bark,  feeding  on  the 
inner  bark  and  sapwood,  filling 
the  burrows  with  the  excrement, 
and  causing  the  bark  to  crack 
open  and  loosen.  When  occur- 
ing  in  great  numbers  they  girdle 
the  tree  and  kill  it,  while  when 
a  few  only  attack  a  small  tree  it 
is  weakened,  and  liable  to  be 
broken  by  the  wind.  The  worm 
when  fully  matured  changes  into 
the  chrysalis,  loosely  covered 
with  white  silk  and  the  brown 
pellet  excrement  of  the  worm. 
When  ready  to  come  forth  as  a 
moth,  it  works  its  way  through 

ERIA  ACERNI,  a,  a,  larva  dorsal,  ana  .  "  , 

lateral  views;  b,  b,  b,  cocoons  ex-  a  hole  in  the  bark,  made  by  the 

posed  by    detachment  of    bark;    c, 

th;  d,  chrysalis  skin  as  it  is  often  worm. 


left  remaining  in  the  hole  of  the  exit. 


The  borers  are  only  found  in  the  trees  which  have 
already  been  injured  by  the  Flat-headed  Borer,  Chrysobothris 
femorata.  Fabricius,  or  where  the  bark  has  been  rubbed 
and  is  cracked  or  roughened.  A  smooth  bark  is  seldom 


(44) 


chosen  for  the  consignment  of  the  eggs.  Anything  which 
will  keep  the  bark  smooth  will  undoubtedly  prove  benefi- 
cial. Mr.  Gennadius  recommends  whitewashing  the  trunks, 
and  filling  up  all  holes  and  fissures  with  mortar,  so  as  to 
render  the  bark  as  smooth  as  possible. 


Wild  Slkdk 


Clisiocampa  Americana.  HARRIS.     TENT  CATERPILLAR. 
(LEPLDOPTERA.  BOMBYCIDJE.) 

This  insect  which  infests  the  apple  orchards,  is  found 
upon  the  Black  Cherry,  and  seems  to  give  the  preference  to 
this  tree  when  in  the  vicinity.  As  many  as  ten  webs 
have  been  found  on  one  tree — for  this  reason  orchardists 
are  advised  to  grow  the  tree.  The  same  genial  warmth  of 

the  sun  which  brings 
forth  the  leaves  of  the 
Black  Cherry,  also 
hatches  from  the 
eggs  laid  upon  the 
branches  of  the  tree, 
from  two  to  three 
hundred  small  cater- 
pillars confined  with- 
in a  white  silken 
enclosure.  All  the 
caterpillars  hatched 
from  one  batch  of 
eggs,  live  harmoni- 
ously together  in  one 
common  tent;  spun 
by  themselves,  en- 
larged with  their 
growth  until  some- 
times the  nesting 
places  acquire  a  di- 


CLISIOCAMPA  AMERICANA 
deposited 


ind  6,  caterpillars;  c,  eggs  as 


wig ;  d,  cocoon. 

ameter  of  eight  or  ten  inches. 

The  caterpillars  feed  in  pleasant  weather  about  twice  a 


(45) 

day,  upon  the  leaves  of  the  tree,  going  and  returning  in  a 
single  procession.  As  they  crawl  over  twig  and  leaf,  they 
spin  from  their  mouths  a  silken  thread,  which  in  time 
forms  a  pathway  of  silk,  serving  to  render  their  footing 
more  secure  and  assist  them  in  again  finding  their  way 
back  to  their  common  habitation.  They  are  hardy  little 
creatures,  and  can  fast  many  days  without  apparent  suffering. 
During  stormy  weather  they  do  not  leave  their  tents,  and 
sometimes  as  many  as  three  or  four  days  elapse  without  their 
partaking  of  food.  The  first  warm  weather  often  hatches 
the  young  and  causes  them  to  appear  before  the  leaves  are 
unfolded,  and  they  then  subsist  on  the  glutinous  substance 
on  the  outside  of  the  egg;  which  substance  has  also  served 
to  prevent  the  winter  storms  from  destroying  the  eggs. 
After  five  or  six  weeks  have  elapsed,  they  having 
changed  their  skins  four  times,  the  caterpillars  become 
fully  grown,  and  for  the  first  time  scatter  independently 
of  each  other,  and  seek  to  find  a  shelter  in  which 
to  spin  their  cocoons.  These  cocoons  are  of  a  long, 
oval  form,  composed  of  silk,  woven  loosely,  the 
crevices  being  filled  with  a  paste,  which,  on  drying, 
becomes  yellow,  and  resembles  sulphur. 

After  remaining  in  the  chrysalis  state  from  fourteen  to 
seventeen  days,  the  insect  bursts  its  chrysalis  skin  and 
forces  its  way  out  of  the  softened  end  of  the  cocoon  and 
issues  forth  as  a  moth.  Many  die  either  from  weakness  or 
injury,  during  the  chrysalis  state,  by  small  maggots,  which 
subsist  upon  the  inside  of  the  chrysalis  and  come  forth  in 
time  as  a  small  four-winged  Ichneumon  fly.  They  are 
kept  in  partial  subjection  by  these  parasites.  It  is  also 
said  that  some  of  our  birds  peck  at  the  nests  of  the  cater- 
pillars, and  destroy  many  in  that  way,  but  do  not  subsist 
entirely  upon  them. 

The  moth  expands  from  one  inch  and  a  quarter  to  one 
inch  and  a  half.  It  is  of  a  rusty,  reddish-brown  color,  the 
front  wings  being  divided  into  nearly  three  equal  parts,  by 
two  white  lines,  between  which  the  color  is  paler  in  the 


(46) 

male,  but  nearer  the  ground  color  or  even  darker  in  the 
female.  These  moths  appear  in  great  numbers  during  the 
month  of  July.  Being  nocturnal  in  their  habits,  they  fly 
by  night,  and  often  enter  our  houses,  attracted  by  the 
light.  They  do  not  eat  during  the  moth  state,  the  only 
aim  of  their  short  existence  seeming  to  be  the  perpetuation 
of  their  species;  for  as  soon  as  they  pair  and  lay  their  eggs, 
their  object  being  completed,  they  die. 

There  are  few  insects  so  easily  managed  as  the  three 
last  described.  The  eggs  being  deposited  in  clusters,  they 
can  be  secured  in  that  form,  but  should  any  escape  the  eye 
and  hatch,  they  can  be  secured  when  in  their  tent,  and 
destroyed  by  burning  or  scalding.  The  larvae  of  Papilio 
Turnus  Linn,  lives  upon  the  leaves  of  the  Black  Cherry, 
but  not  to  any  extent  in  Illinois. 

The  Birch  and  Buckeye  trees  appear  unusually  free 
from  insects.  Upon  the  latter  tree  has  been  found  the 
larvse  of  one  of  the  Lepidopterous  insects,  but  not  in 
sufficient  numbers  to  attract  attention. 

A  bark-louse  is  found  upon  the  Mountain  Ash.  I  have 
not  had  sufficient  opportunity  as  yet  for  observing  its 
habits  or  ascertaining  the  scientific  name. 

The  Cotton-wood  tree  does  not  suffer  much  from  borers 
in  our  vicinity.  A  tree  which  was  felled  one  year  ago  on 
the  bluff,  and  more  than  twenty-five  years  old,  was  almost 
free  from  insect  depredation.  There  are,  however,  two 
insects  found  on  the  leaves  worthy  of  consideration. 

Pemphigus  vagabundus.  WALSH. 
(HEMIPTERA.  APHID.E.) 

Commonly  known  as  the  vagabond  Pemphigus,  "so 
called  from  its  habit  of  wandering  to  very  great  distances 
in  its  native  forests,  raises  large  galls  on  the  tops  of  the 
Cotton-wood  and  Balsam  Poplars;  the  old  blackened  galls 
hang  on  to  the  twigs  for  several  seasons,  giving  the  tree 
a  singular  appearance  when  the  leaves  are  off  in  the  winter 


(47) 

time.     A  single  female  begins  the  gall,  whose  young  soon 
multiply,  leaving  the  gall  in  September." 

Acronycta  populi.  RILEY.     THE  COTTON-WOOD  DAGGER. 
(LEPIDOPTERA.  ACRONYCTAD^;.) 

The  caterpillars  of  this  moth  are  found  on  the  leaves  of 
the  Cotton-wood.  The  caterpillar  is  easily  recognized  by 
"  its  body  being  covered  with  long,  soft,  bright-yellow  hairs 
which  grow  immediately  from  the  body,  part  on  the  back, 
and  curl  round  on  each  side."  The  head  is  black,  and  on 
the  top  of  five  joints,  is  a  straight  black  brush.  When  at 
rest  they  have  a  habit  of  curling  round  upon  a  leaf.'  There 
are  two  broods  each  year,  the  first  brood  appearing  during 
the  month  of  June,  the  second  the  last  t>f  August. 

The  chrysalis  is  surrounded  by  a  pale,  yellow,  silk 
cocoon,  and  is  generally  found  in  some  sheltered  place, 
such  as  a  chink  in  the  bark  of  a  tree,  or  under  the  cap  of 
some  fence.  Mr.  Riley  has  bred  three  distinct  parasites 
from  the  larva  of  this  moth,  which  undoubtedly  serve  to 
keep  them  in  subjection.  Although  not  strictly  gregarious 
in  habit,  they  are  found  in  clusters  when  young,  and  can, 
at  that  time  be  easily  destroyed  by  gathering. 


The  Locust  suffers  from  the  borers  to  an  alarming 
extent  throughout  Illinois.  It  is  discouraging  to  find  the 
main  trunk  of  a  whole  row  of  trees  riddled  through  and 
through  with  these  depredators,  and  yet  it  is  frequently 
seen,  and  unless  the  natural  enemies  come  to  the  rescue, 
a  healthy  Locust  tree  will  be  the  effect  of  the  imagination. 
Only  two  or  three  trees  remain  to  represent  the  long  row 
which  once  aiforded  shade  on  the  northern  extremity  of 
Elizabeth  street.  The  most  numerous  of  which  are  the 
Clytus  Rbbinice  and  Xykutes  Robinice. 


(48) 
Clytus  Robinm.  FORSTER.     LOCUST  TREE  BORER. 

(COLEOPTERA,  CERAMBYCID^.) 

This  beetle  is  often  confounded  with  the  hickory  borer, 
Clytus  pictus  Drury,  being  similar  in  general  appearance 
and  color. 

The  eggs  of  the  Clytus  Robinice,  are  deposited 
in  clusters  in  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  and  in  a 
short  time  are  hatched  and  the  grubs  com- 
mence boring  into  the  bark,  subsisting  on  the 
soft  inner  substance  until  winter  approaches, 
when  it  bores  into  the  centre,  or  heart  of  the  tree,  remaining 
torpid  until  spring.  The  following  June,  the  beetle 
emerges,  requiring  one  year  for  the  full  development  of 
the  insect. 

When,  as  often  happens,  many  borers  are  in  one  tree, 
it  becomes  full  of  holes  and  very  much  weakened.  Any 
kind  of  wash  that  is  offensive  to  the  beetle  and  will  serve 
to  keep  the  eggs  from  being  deposited,  applied  to  the 
trunk  of  the  tree  will  prove  effective. 

Dr.  Harris  proposes  whitewashing  the  trunk  of  the  tree, 
and  watching  for  the  insect  and  destroying  them.  This  is 
easily  accomplished,  since  they  are  frequently  seen  basking 
in  the  sunshine  on  the  bark. 

Xyhutes  Robinice.  PECK.     LOCUST  TREE  CARPENTER  MOTH. 
(LEPIDOPTERA.  BOMBYCID^E.) 

The  larvse  of  this  moth  bores  into  our  Locust  trees, 
arid  although  it  is  not  found  in  the  same  number  as  the 
Clytus,  it  is  much  larger  and  longer  lived  in  the  tree,  and 
much  damage  is  done  by  them.  They  are  nearly  three 
inches  long,  when  fully  grown,  and  about  as  thick  around 
as  the  end  of  the  little  finger.  In  color,  it  is  reddish 
above,  and  white  beneath,  sparsely  covered  with  short 
hairs  arising  from  minute-warts.  "  These  caterpillars  bore 
the  tree  in  various  directions,  but  for  the  most  part 
obliquely  upwards  and  downwards  through  the  solid 


(49) 


wood,  enlarging  the  holes  as  they  increase  in  size,  and 
continuing  them  through  the  bark  to  the  outside  of  the 
trunk.  Before  transforming,  they  line  these  passages  with 
a  web  of  silk,  and  retiring  to  some  distance  from  the 
orifice,  they  spin  around  their  bodies  a  closer  web,  or 
cocoon,  within  which  they  assume  the  chrysalis  form." 
—  Harris. 

The  moth  is  large  ;  the  wings  narrow,  both  pairs  being 
equal  in  size,  and  somewhat  resemble  the  nit-veined  style 
of  the  Neuroptera. 


8lkdk 


Tree. 


Hyphantria   Textor.  HARRIS.    THE  FALL  WEB- WORM. 
(LEPIDOPTERA  BOMBYCIDJE.) 

Near  the  end  of  the  branches  of  the  Walnut  tree,  large 
webs  can  often  be  seen  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  and  if  care- 
fully examined  will  be  found  to  be  filled  with  small  worms, 
or  caterpillars.  They  are  very  injurious  to  the  tree,  often 

occurring  in  large  num- 
bers. The  eggs  are  laid 
by  the  parent  moth  in  / 
clusters  upon  a  leaf  near 
the  extremity  of  a 
branch,  and  are  hatched 
from  the  last  of  June  till 
7  the  middle  of  August, 
some  broods  being  later 

HYPHANTBIA  TIXTOB;  a,  larva;  b,  chrysalis;  c,  moth,    that!  Others.       The  yOUng 

caterpillars  immediately  begin  to  provide  a  shelter  for 
themselvefe  by  covering  the  upper  portion  of  the  leaf  , 
with  a  web,  feeding  on  the  pulpy  portion  of  the  leaf, 
the  skeleton  of  the  •  leaf  and  the  lower  skin  remaining. 
As  they  increase  in  size,  they  enlarge  their  web  until 
carried  over  a  large  portion  of  the  branch.  When  fully 
grown,  they  measure  something  over  one  inch  in  length. 
In  early  autumn  they  leave  their  web  and  for  the  first  time 

1 


(50) 

separate,  and  hiding  under  stones  and  boards  change  into 
the  pupae,  remaining  inactive  during  the  winter,  and 
appearing  as  a  moth  the  following  June  or  July. 

As  soon  as  the  webs  are  seen  they  should  be  stripped 
off,  with  the  few  leaves  which  they  cover,  and  the  cater- 
pillars destroyed. 

Clisiocampa.  Sylvatica.  HARRIS.     TENT  CATERPILLAR  OF  THE 

FOREST. 
(LEPIDOPTERA.  BOMBYCIDJE.) 

Upon  the  Walnut  and  Oak  fastened  to  the  trunk  or 
larger  branches,  large  tents  or  webs  are  frequently  seen, 
resembling  in  habits  the  Clisiocampa  Americana.  The  tent 
contains  as  many  as  three  or  four  hundred  indi- 
viduals, and  often  prove  very  injurious  to  the 
trees  infested,  defoliating  at  times  a  greater  por- 
tion of  the  tree.  When  fully  grown,  the  cater- 
pillars leave  the  tree  and  seek  some  dry,  sheltered 
spot,  where  they  change  into  the  pupae  inside 
a  cocoon,  resembling  in  form  .and  color  the 
Americana.  The  moths  appear  from  sixteen  to 
twenty  days  after,  depositing  the  eggs  on  the 
tree  in  clusters,  during  the  autumn.  Destroying 
the  caterpillars  while  in  the  tents,  or  gathering 
the  eggs  during  the  winter,  is  the  most  effectual 
way  of  preventing  their  ravages. 

CtlSIOCAMPA  SYL- 
VATICA; larva. 


Attacus  [  Callosamia~\  Promethea.  DRURY.     THE    PROMETHEA 

SILK  WORM. 
(LEPIDOPTERA  BOMBYCID^;.) 

Upon  the  Sassafras  tree,  in  the  winter  time,  leaves 
apparently  dried  and  curled  are  seen  hanging  from  the 
limbs ;  close  observation  shows  this  is  used  as  an  outside 
covering  for  a  cocoon.  The  caterpillar  had  gathered  this 
around  itself,  the  stem  of  the  leaf  made  secure  to  the 


(51) 

branch  by  silken  threads  being  wound  around  and  fastened 
so  securely  that  the  winds  fail  to  detach  it,  and  there  it 
hangs  until  warm  weather  unfolds  the  leaves  and  the  moth 
makes  its  escape  through  one  end.  They  are  nocturnal  in 
habit,  and  are  seldom  seen. 

The  male  and  female  differ  very  much  in  appearance. 
"The  same  design  is  manifest  in  both  sexes,  but  the 
general  color  of  the  male  is  a  deep,  rich,  smoky  or  amber- 
brown  ;  while  that  of  the  female  is  of  a  lighter  rust  or 
reddish  brown.  Both  have  a  pale  wavy  line  across  the 
middle,  and  a  clay-colored  border  along  the  hind  edges  of 
the  wings.  Both  also  have  an'  eye-like  black  spot,  with  a 
pale-blufsh  crescent  inside,  near  the  tip  of  front  wings,  but 
the  female  has  a  pale  angular  spot,  shaded  outside  with 
black,  near  the  middle  of  each  wing,  which  is  only 
occasionally  faintly  indicated  on  the  unjderside  in  the  male. 
The  Antennae  of  the  male  are  about  twice  as  broad  as  those 
of  the  female." 

The  eggs  are  laid  on  the  limbs  of  the  tree,  about  the  first 
of  July,  in  clusters  of  five  or  six.  The  larvse  subsist  upon 
the  leaves  of  the  Sassafras,  changing  to  the  chrysalis  in  the 
autumn.  They  can  be  gathered  from  the  tree  any  time 
during  the  winter  or  early  spring. 

The  Promethea  cocoon  often  contain  other  small  silken 
cocoons  from  which  issue  small  parasites,  they  having 
subsisted  on  the  substance  found  on  the  inside  of  the 
chrysalis. 

The  Sassafras  is  not  the  only  food  which  they  live  upon. 
The  cocoons  are  found  suspended  from  the  branches  of  the 
Wild  Cherry,  Ash,  Poplar,  and  a  few  others,  but  not  as 
frequently  as  from  the  Sassafras  limbs. 


The  pine  and  fir  tree  are  seldom  disturbed  to  any 
extent  by  leaf-eating  caterpillars — the  resinous  odor  of  the 
tree  proving  offensive  to  many  of  them — does  not  prevent 


(52) 

many  kinds  of  borers  from  burrowing  into  and  destroying 
their  trunks.  The  larvae  of  several  Capricorn  beetles,  live 
entirely  in  the  pine  and  fir  trees,  or  in  timber  of  these 
kinds  of  wood.  They  undermine  the  bark  in  various 
directions,  and  even  enter  the  more  solid  portions  of  the 
trunk,  having  little  regularity  in  its  course.  Their  bur- 
rows are  wide,  and  as  they  advance  they  fill  up  the  hole 
with  a  saw-dust  like  filling.  In  the  eastern  states  they  do 
immense  damage. 

Harris  says  the  Callidium  bajulus  Linnaeus,  one  of  the 
most  common  kinds  of  Callidium  found  in  Massachusetts, 
is  a  flatish,  rusty-black  beetle,  with  some  downy  whitish 
spots  across  the  middle  of  the  wing-covers.  It  Measures 
from  four-tenths  to  three-quarters  of  an  inch  in  length. 

The  Callidium  violaceum,  Harris,  are  found  just  under 
the  bark.  When  they  are  about  to  transform,  they  bore  into 
the  solid  wood  to  the  depth  of  several  inches. 

Hylurgus  terebrans.  OLIVIER. 

(COLEOPTERA.    ScOLYTIDvE.) 

The  outside  appearance  of  the  bark  of  a  pine  tree  shows 
no  indication  of  workers  on  the  inside  to  the  casual 
observer.  If,  however,  during  the  month  of  May,  we 
watch  closely,  small  beetles  will  be  seen  emerging  from 
the  trunk^  through  small  round  holes.  Upon  raising  a 
part  of  the  bark — which  is  loosened — we  shall  find  the 
under  side  pierced  by  these  insects.  The  grubs,  or  larvae, 
hatched  from  the  eggs  deposited  in  spring,  come  to 
maturity  in  the  autumn,  and  boring  into  the  bark  remain 
until  spring,  when  they  emerge  as  the  perfect  insect.  They 
are  very  small,  but  when  occurring  in  great  numbers,  they 
interrupt  the  descent  of  the  sap,  and  prevent  the  formation 
of  new  wood.  The  tree,  after  a  time,  languishes  and  dies. 
With  this  insect  has  been  found  another  more  slender,  of 
a  dark-brown  color,  and  clothed  with  a  few  short,  yellow 
hairs.  "  The  larvae  eat  zigzag  and  wavy  passages  parallel 


(53) 

to   each  other,  between  the   bark   and   the   wood."     The 
name  given  it  is  the  Tomicus  exesus.  SAY. 

Gurculio  Pales.  HERBST. 

(COLEOPTERA    CURCULIONID^.) 

The  larvae  of  this  beetle  is  found  under  the  bark  of  the 
pine,  sometimes  doing  much  damage.  Even  the  maturfe 
insects  prove  destructive  by  puncturing  the  buds  and  tender 
bark  of  the  small  branches,  feeding  upon  the  juice;  the 
young  shoots  break  off  or  die  at  the  wounded  part,  so 
great  is  the  injury.  It  is  only  when  the  larvae  is  found  in 
great  numbers  under  the  bark  that  the  tree  receives  a 
permanent  injury.  Woodpeckers  prove  of  great  assistance 
in  destroying  them.  Wilson,  the  ornithologist,  describes 
this  insect  when  speaking  of  the  ivory-billed  woodpecker, 
and  urges  the  protection  of  the  bird. 

The  Buprestes  Virginia,  Drury,  is  the  largest  beetle  we 
have  treated  of  infesting  the  pine  trees.  It  measures  from 
eight-tenths  of  an  inch  to  one  inch  or  more  in  •  length. 
The  larva  bores  into  the  trunk  of  the  trees,  oftentimes 
proving  very  injurious. 

According  to  Packard,  the  larvae  of  the  Pine  saw-fly, 
Lophyrus  abietis,  Harris,  are  found  upon  the  fir  and  pitch 
pine.  They  are  social  in  habit,  and  may  be  found  in 
considerable  numbers  on  a  single  needle  of  the  pitch-pine. 
The  larvae  spin  tough  cocoons  among  the  leaves,  and  the 
flies  appear  in  the  spring.  The  larvae  can  be  easily  des- 
troyed by  showering  them  with  a  solution  of  carbolic  acid 
or  whale  oil  soap.  The  eggs  are  laid  singly  in  the  side  of 
a  needle  of  the  pine;  though  sometimes  an  egg  is  inserted 
on  each  side  of  the  leaf. 

Mr.  Riley  has  described  the  habits  of  the  white  pine 
saw-fly,  Lophyrus  abbotii  Leach.  The  flies  appear  in 
June,  and  there  is  but  a  single  brood  of  larvae,  which 
remain  on  the  tree,  in  Illinois,  until  November,  and 
hibernate  before  changing  to  pupae. 


(54) 

By  reviewing  the  preceding  pages,  we  shall  find  that 
a  preventive  used  for  one  kind  of  insect,  will  serve  to  keep 
others  in  subjection. 

A  little  time  and  attention  given  to  the  insects  infesting 
the  shade  trees  will  increase  the  vigor  and  healthfulness, 
and  more  than  repay  the  owner  by  the  beauty  and 
symmetiy  of  the  tree.  It  is  not  a  pleasant  sight  to  find 
scattered  under  the  oak  trees,  branches  cut  oft'  by  the  Oak- 
pruner,  or  whole  limbs  of  trees  defoliated  by  caterpillars. 
The  bark-lice  found  on  the  Maple  trees  in  the  center  of  our 
city,  prove  the  eft'ect  of  neglect,  and  if  this  insect  is  allowed 
to  increase  undisturbed,  the  trees  will  be  seriously  injured 
unless  nature  comes  to  the  rescue  in  the  form  of  para- 
sites. The  most  efficient  workers  we  have,  are  the  birds. 
There  is  a  law  existing  against  discharging  fire-arms  within 
the  city  limits,  and  if  this  law  was  enforced,  the  eft'ect 
upon  the  insects  would  soon  be  apparent. 

Mr.  John  Griswold,  on  Moss  street,  has,  without  doubt, 
the  best  collection  of  trees  in  the  city.  The  scarcity  of 
insects  on  his  grounds  has  often  caused  surprise.  The 
reason  is,  however,  he  makes  every  ettort  to  protect  the 
birds,  by  prohibiting  guns  from  being  fired  anywhere 
about  the  premises.  Many  kinds  build  their  nests  in  the 
trees,  feeding  their  young  the  caterpillars  from  the  tree. 
While  riding  over  the  arsenal  at  Rock  Island,  last  fall, 
the  webs  made  by  the  three  kinds  of  insects  previously 
described,  were  rarely  found,  although  many  were  seen 
from  the  cars  before  reaching  Rock  Island.  Upon  inquiry, 
I  found  that  the  birds  were  protected,  and  for  several  years 
have  not  been  disturbed  or  frightened  away. 

Woodpeckers,  with  their  long  bills,  penetrate  the 
trunks  of  trees  and  search  out  the  retreats  of  the  many 
borers.  The  number  of  worms  necessary  daily  for  the 
maintainance  of  a  young  brood  of  birds  and  their  parents, 
is  greater  than  the  casual  observer  would  imagine,  and  if 
the  birds  were  protected  they  would  add  much  to  the 
beauty  of  our  city  by  their  presence  and  labor. 


(55) 

A  gentleman  of  this  city  said,  that  the  thieving  habits 
of  the  birds  had  lessened  his  admiration  of  them.  I 
suspect  that  much  of  our  want  of  appreciation  of  the  birds 
making  their  homes  among  our  garden  fruit  trees  and 
shrubbery,  comes  from  our  inveterate  selfishness.  They 
guard  our  choicest  fruits  from  spring  till  autumn,  destroy- 
ing millions  of  insects  that  otherwise  would  puncture  and 
deposit  eggs  in  the  grape,  cherry,  and  other  kinds.  It 
looks  to  me  very  much  like  ingratitude  to  begrudge  them  a 
grape  or  cherry  in  their  season,  and  especially  so,  since 
they  prefer  those  that  have  worms  in  them,  and  even 
if  they  take  those  which  are  sound,  who  could  blame  them 
for  desiring  a  small  share  of  the  delicious  nectar. 

There  are  but  few  birds,  if  any,  that  feed  upon  the 
curculio,  the  pest  of  the  plum,  and  hence,  the  scarcity  of 
the  fruit  in  our  markets. 

If  the  birds  should  entirely  leave  us  it  is  a  question  if 
any  fruits  could  ripen  in  all  the  land.  It  is  impious  to 
talk  against  the  birds,  and  sacrilege  to  wantonly  destroy 
their  innocent  lives. 

Children,  instead  of  robbing  their  nests  and  throwing 
stones  at  them,  should  be  taught  to  regard  them  as  special 
messengers  from  heaven  to  protect  our  garden  fruits  and 
enliven  our  homes  with  their  vocal  music.  It  is  certainly 
kind  in  Mr.  G.  to  prohibit  guns  from  being  fired  in  his 
beautiful  park,  and  especially  so  in  supplying  pools  of 
clear  fresh  water  for  their  drink  and  morning  ablutions, 
which  they  enjoy  without  fear  of  annoyance.  His  groves 
are  full  of  their  warblings,  and  much  tamer  than  in  other 
localities.  He  is  abundantly  rewarded  for  his  kindness. 
There  is  no  other  grove  of  trees  and  shrubbery  in  this 
vicinity  that  is  kept  so  fresh  and  delightful,  and  Mr.  G. 
fully  appreciates  the  services  of  the  birds. 


UNIVERSITY  OF   CALIFORNIA,   LOS   ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNL 


I        Manufactured  by 
GAYLORD  BROS.  In 
Syracuse,  N.  Y. 


SB 

435 


